Thank You, Buzzy!

Hi, guys!  Hope all is well. I made a card a few days ago for a friend's brother for building her new home.  Well, last night I made another thank you card for a house builder.  I had never made one of these before, and now two in a short time.  I was able to use both stamping and embossing on this card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts
Paper: Stampin' Up
Ink: Memento Black, Copic Markers, Distress Ink
Misc.:  Crafts-Too Embossing Folder

It was a fun card to make.  I enjoy coloring images, and used my Copic markers to color the house and used a computer generated name.

Have a great day!

A Little Shopping, A Little Wine

Hi, guys!  A friend of mine asked me to make her BFF a birthday card. My friend mentioned that two of her friend's favorite things are shopping and wine.   I got to break out my Hero Arts/Sizzix stamp die cut combo. I love this gal and how she can hold shopping bags, or a purse to change it up.  I used my Vagabond machine to cut out the shapes and I used the computer to generate her name.

Supplies:
Stamps/Die Cuts: Hero Arts/Sizzix, The Craft Lounge
Ink: Memento Black, Copic Markers, Distress Inks
Paper: The Ink Pad NYC
Misc.: Gems, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder

My friend loved the card, and I hope Sheryl likes it and enjoyed her birthday.

Wishing you a fun-filled day!  I may have to go shopping now!

Birthday Wishes for Father Lew

Hi, guys!  Hope your day is going well.  All is fine on my end.  I am gearing up to go to BlogHer'12 next Thursday-Saturday!  The blogging conference will be held in NYC this year and I am so excited.  The idea that over 4,000 women bloggers will be gathering together in one place is rather mind-blowing to me.  I have been going over sessions that I want to take, and talks I want to attend.  The parties are a great way to meet and mingle with some great bloggers who I have admired.  I can't wait to hear Martha Stewart and Katie Couric speak!  I look forward to sharing that adventure with you.

So, for today, I thought I would share a card I made last night.  I was asked to make a birthday card for a priest of my friend's parish.  I put a birthday sentiment inside the card, and also included a Bible verse.

Supplies:
Stamps: Delta (Elegant Cross)
Paper: Gina K Designs
Misc.: Dew Drop, Stampin' Up Gold Cord,  Fiskars Label Punch, Gem, Gold Embossing Powder

I sure hope Father Lew has a blessed birthday.

Hope the rest of your day is filled with sunshine and fun!

Some Monkey Business - Alex is 2!

Hi, guys!  I made a card last night for my friend Erich's nephew Alex.  I can't believe Alex is 2!  I made his card when he turned one (photo in my gallery) and boy, has time flown!  For this birthday I decided to use a fun old set from Stampin' Up.   I love these funny monkeys and figure a little boy would, too.

Supplies:
Stamps: Stampin' Up
Paper: Gina K Designs
Ink: Stampin' Up, Distress Ink (Wild Honey)
Misc.: Fiskars Square Punch, Lawn Fawn Trimmings


I love digging through my older sets and using them in new ways.  I figure I loved them enough to buy them, so I need to show them that love by using them.

Have a great day!!

Mother Nature In Her Glory

Hi, guys!  Hope all is well!  I am excited today, as I finally picked this!

I have been waiting for a tomato to turn red, and I am looking forward to eating this.  I have about 30 green ones sitting there teasing me, so hopefully they will all do their magic soon!  I thought I would share another picture with you.  I am amazed at Mother Nature sometimes.  One of her critters must have dropped some seeds in the middle of my side yard, and look what grew!

There are 3 purple cone flowers as tall as me now.  (Please excuse the picture of me, as my hubby thought it was a fun picture, and I am in my yard clothes!)  But it is fun to see how tall they are growing.  I'm staking them today as they aren't able to stand up by themselves anymore.

Now, for a card.   I was asked to make a sympathy card for a friend.  She needed one made for a man who lost his wife.  Having been in that position, I took time to think about how I wanted to make it.  I decided to go simple and easy.   I remember being overwhelmed with the long dramatic poems after awhile when I was barely functioning.   I kept the sentiment inside very simple.  My friend liked it when I gave it to her.  I hope it brings some comfort.

Supplies:
Paper: The Ink Pad NYC, Imaginations-Gingham
Ink: Stampin' Up
Stamp: Greenbrier International
Misc.: True Hemp Hemptique, Oval Punches

I hope you have a great day!

Not Bob, But Lee The Builder

Hi, guys!  Hope everything is well. I am really looking forward to some R & R this weekend.

I thought I would share a card I made for a friend's brother.  My friend asked me to make a special card for her brother Lee, as he is currently building her a house and she wanted a special "thank you" to him. She fondly refers to him as "Lee the Builder," so I wanted to make sure I included that.  I went through my stamps and found a whimsical house set by Claudine Hellmuth that had some great images that I knew I had to use.  I watercolored the sky and grass with Distress Inks, and used my Distress Markers to color all the images.

Supplies:
Paper: Stampin' Up
Stamps: Claudine Helluth Studio
Inks: Distress Inks, Black Archival, Distress Markers
Misc.: Memory Box Cloud Dies, Tim Holtz Ribbon

This was a fun card for me to make.  I haven't had time lately to watercolor and it was so relaxing to do.

Hope you have a great weekend!   I hope you find time for some fun and relaxation!

July Design Team Submissions III- The Finale

Hi, guys!  Hope all is well.  Today I will be sharing the final cards for the July Design Team Submissions of The Ink Pad NYC.

The first card I am going to share with you today incorporates both stamping and using dies for the butterflies.  I used images from Stampers Anonymous from the Nature's Discovery Set.  I also sprayed Dylusions spray inks on paper and cut out tiny butterflies using The Memory Box Die Butterfly Delights. They are so adorable!  Using the spray this way made them all different.   The background was embossed using the Tim Holtz embossing folder Honeycomb.

For the last card, I decided to use black glossy cardstock for the base.  I used Maya Road Stamps for the butterflies.  I am really enjoying the new Summer Distress Ink colors, so I used them for the images.  I used twine for the butterfly trails.  To make them stiff, I used Claudine Hellmuth Matte Medium.

My four-month term on the design team is ending this month.  I want to thank The Ink Pad NYC for allowing me to be on their first design team.  It meant a lot to me and I hope you enjoyed my creations. It sure was a lot of fun for me.

Hope you find a few moments in your day to do something you love!

July Design Team Submissions II - Fluttering By

Hi, guys! Hope you are all doing well today.  I am sitting here in front of my air conditioner (literally!) as I write this post.  I am sure hoping this heat breaks before it breaks me!

I thought I would share the next two cards I made for the July Design Team of The Ink Pad NYC.  The theme this month was butterflies.  I also had to incorporate the Ranger Dylusion sprays, and wooden buttons.

I decided to use dies instead of stamps for the butterflies this time.  I used the Memory Box (Moonlight Butterfly) die to cut out some butterflies after I sprayed the papers with  Dylusions sprays.  It was a fun way to add color to them.  The background is embossed with a Tim Holtz Embossing folder. I also decided to spray the wood button and it worked great. The sentiment I stamped on the butterfly is from Maya Road.

For this next card, I decided to use one large butterfly from Hero Arts/Basic Grey from the Butterflies Print set.  I thought it would be fun for this one to keep it one solid color to show the print on it.  I scored the card along the bottom and inserted the sentiment there.  I thought this green and brown wooden button would go nice with it.

Hope you like these cards.  It is a lot of fun sharing them with you.  I hope you find a few moments in your day to do something you love!   Until next time!

July Design Team Submissions - Inky Butterflies

Hi, guys!  Hope all is well.  I finally found some time to get INKY today and thought I would share the two cards I made with you.   These are the first two of my July Design Team submissions for The Ink Pad NYC. This month I was given Maya Road butterflies, and Dylusions spray ink to work with.

I was given Ranger's Cut Grass Dylusions spray.  I really love this stuff.  I have it in a few other colors, so I included Crushed Grape Dylusions spray also.   I love the vibrant colors.  For this card I just misted it on dry card stock.

For the next card, I used the Dylusions spray on glossy card stock with water to obtain a watercolor look. The colors of the sprays I used on this one are Pure Sunshine and London Blue.  The butterfly on this card is by Stampers Anonymous and the background is by Hero Arts. The hardware is by Tim Holtz.

I had fun making these cards.  Have a cardboard box handy when you are using spray inks.  It really does keep your work surface clean as well as containing the ink from going airborne (take it from one who knows firsthand!)  I know there are little boxes made for use with spray inks, but really any old box will do (and it will save a tree to recycle one you already have!).

I look forward to sharing the next few cards in the upcoming days.  Stay cool, my friends!

Green Acres ... and Green Chimneys

Hi, guys!  Sorry I have been missing awhile, but with the summer comes weekends away with family and friends.  I have lots of cards to make this week and will be sitting down to work tonight.

I thought I would share with you how I spend part of my weekend.   My husband and I went up to visit with my brother and his family for a bit and then went to visit with my husband's family for a barbecue. When we got to my brother's home, I got to meet his newest family additions.   He has started raising 6 chickens!  That may not sound like anything to those of you who live in the country, but for someone from NYC, it is rather exciting and a bit scary, too.   I think they are so pretty to look at but I was afraid to pick one up.  I would look at their feet and they were intimidating to me.  But you will see that my brother convinced me that they didn't mind one bit. (Insert theme song from Green Acres!)

I thought it was nice of her to allow me to take her picture before she decided she wanted none of it. One of the chickens has started to lay eggs, but the rest should start at the end of September some time. It will be interesting to see how this all turns out.

Next, my brother took us to Green Chimneys. They are a fine organization.  We got to see the animals they have rescued and meet some of the fine children who live there as well.  It was such a great place and I can't think of a finer way to help children and animals who are in need of assistance.   They also have a country store and I was able to buy some maple syrup and other things to assist with supporting their organization.  I promised two of the kids we would be back in the fall to get our pumpkins from them.

Here are some of the animals receiving care (and love) at their facility.

If you are ever in Putnam County, New York, I would highly recommend you pay Green Chimneys a visit. They would love to see you!

Well, enjoy the rest of your weekend.  I promise to have more INKY creations posted this week.  Enjoy the rest of your day!

My Art Statement and Birthday Celebrations

Hi, guys!  Hope everyone is doing well.  I have been very busy these past few days "making merry" to celebrate my birthday.  I have been away a few days visiting my parents in the Catskills for the weekend.  We had a great time, and I got to spend quality time with my parents.  I even was able to have my mom teach me to make her fabulous spaghetti gravy and meatballs.  This is something I have been waiting to learn from her for many years.  Mom has cooked for our large family for many years but is a "by feel" kind of cook so she could never give me "the recipe," so with pad and pen in hand, I watched her and took detailed notes.  Can't wait to give it a try.   I will share the recipe sometime.  I first have to measure out the ingredients as she doesn't measure.  

Before my trip upstate, I went to dinner with my two sisters and had a great time with them and a girlfriend.  After dinner my nephew Christopher (age 12) presented me the greatest gift.  He wrote a poem for school that I LOVED about his art.  It really spoke to me when I read it, and so he framed it and decorated it for my new stamp room.  I think everyone should feel free with their art and create for the joy of it. This is something I will treasure always!

Last, but not least, I thought I would share a card my hubby made for me!  He is not a crafter, or a stamper, so it is extra special to me.  He worked on it on the sly when I was not around.  You see that the age is crossed out and then written in?  Well, it is because I was thinking I was turning 45 for most of the year; I just realized I was turning 46 a couple of months ago.  I can't believe I forgot a year!  My husband thought that was hysterical and so he had to incorporate that in the card.

Stamps: Crafty Secrets
Paper: Stampin' Up

I look forward to finding some crafty time this week and I will be sharing some cards with you soon!

Have a great night!

Say "Happy Birthday" with Butterflies!

Hi, guys! TGIF!  It is another brutal day temperature-wise here in NYC.  We have a real hot weekend ahead as well.  I am really hoping it breaks soon.  I am not sure if my garden or I can stand much more of it.  We are both wilting pretty badly.

For today, I thought I would share a card I made for my friend's husband's birthday.  Christine loves butterflies and that they always remind her husband of her.  So, I made this card.  I used three butterflies to symbolize the 3 members of their young family. I heat embossed the background and it really shines nicely in real life.  I really love the Zing embossing powders.  I find the colors are so vibrant and bold.

Supplies:
Stamps: CC rubber stamps (Sentiment), Stamp Camp (Background)
Paper: Hero Arts Note card in Pool, Husk card stock The Ink Pad NYC, Gina K Designs White, Lilybeedesign (Buttercup),True Hemp Hemptique
Ink: Versamark, Archival Ink
Misc.: Zing Embossing Powder, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, Gems

Christine loved the card when I gave it to her.  Wishing Seth a very Happy Birthday!

I hope you all have a great weekend and find some time to do something you love.  You can bet I will!

Happy 236th Birthday, America!

Hi, guys!  Hope you are having a great Fourth of July!  My husband and I are staying home this year as it is mid-week and don't feel like running around in this heat.  We are going to spend time working on my stamp room and having a barbecue.

I thought I would share a few cards I made for the holiday (yes, I sent a few Fourth of July cards!).  This first one was made for our friend Michael.  He is a history professor and actually sent us a card and noted that it is the 236th birthday of our great country.

Stamps: Viva Las Vegas Stamps, Papertrey Ink
Paper: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento Black
Misc.: Really Reasonable Ribbon, Copic Markers, Felt Star


The next two cards I made for our parents.  I used the splatter technique that Tim Holtz showed for his new July 2012 tag. I thought it would be fun to use on these.  They mimic fireworks.

Stamps:  Stampsmith, Papertrey Ink
Paper: Ranger Gloss White, Papertrey Ink White
Ink: Archival Black (for Lady Liberty), Alcohol Inks, Archival Blue (Sentiments), Stampin' Up Red
Misc: Really Reasonable Ribbon, Tim Holtz Vintage Labels 

May each of you have a safe and fun-filled holiday!  I hope you will join me in taking a moment from our festivities to give thanks for this great nation and for all those who are currently serving in our military who are sacrificing so much to keep us safe and sound.

June Design Team Submissions - Home Sweet Home

Hi, guys!  I am sharing the final June submissions for The Ink Pad NYC design Team. These final cards each feature Hero Arts stamps and they feature some rather funky and fun-looking house designs.

For this first one, I kept it fun and decided to make the house a bit whimsical and went for some fun bright flowers.  I was given some bakers twine, and thought it would be fun to use that as the smoke coming from the chimney.  I used distress inks for the sky and ground.

I made this last card while watching my beloved New York Mets lose to the New York Yankees in the Subway Series.  If you follow baseball, you will know how crushing it is to watch your team lose over and over.  I think I was channeling the Mets by using their colors!  The background stamp I used on this was from Impression-Obsession called Graph Paper.   I used twine to make a banner and used some tags from Vintage Street for the sentiment.  I think this card would be fun to give to someone who bought a new house, or for any fun occasion. The inks used were Archival and, of course, distress ink.  I have been using distress ink so much lately that I am beginning to wonder: if I cut myself, will I bleed distress ink?

Have a great day!  Stay cool, and have some fun!

June 2012 Tim Holtz Tag - Remembrance

Hi, guys!  Hope you had a great weekend - I did.  Started it off with a great ladies night out to celebrate my friend Asia's birthday.  Nothing better than spending a night out with great friends to start the weekend off on a fun note.  Today my husband and I spent some time in IKEA again to pick up more stuff for my stamp room.  I think they will know us by sight soon at this rate!

Tonight I took some time to complete my two tags for the Tim Holtz Tags of 2012.  These are done monthly and, of course, it is the last day of the month and I was under the wire by 40 minutes! Tim taught us how to tint photos to give them a vintage look.   I was not sure what photo I wanted to use, so I decided to do two tags.  I started by using an old childhood photo of my late husband Charlie.  I thought it was an adorable picture that captured his personality.  I used distress inks to tint the photo.  I only colored his coat (Fired Brick) and bow tie (Salty Ocean).  I used Antique Linen to age the photo and Vintage Photo along the edge.   While doing this tag, I decided to incorporate his love of bicycle riding by using tissue tape.  For the embellishment, I went with the metal angel wings by Tim Holtz.   Charlie is now my guardian angel and I thought they would be a great touch.

For the next tag I decided to use a photo of my late mother-in-law Elsie on her wedding day.  I used distress inks to tint her bouquet and the same Antique Linen and Vintage Distress inks to age the photo. She was married in 1942, so I used the Tim Holtz Alphanumeric stickers for the year.  I stained a portion of a rose ribbon to make the flower and incorporated an old vintage stick pin as an embellishment.   I used the alphabet paper for this tag as Elsie was a teacher her entire life.  Even after she stopped teaching school, she continued to teach those around her every day.

I enjoyed making these tags.  I found them extra special to do since I made them in remembrance of two people who I was lucky enough to love and share my life with.

Hope you have a great day and find some time to do something you love.