When High Tech Meets Low Tech

Hi, guys! My nephew Tom celebrated his 11th birthday last week, and I thought I would share with you the card I made for him. Tom loves all things "techie."  He loves computers, cell phones, iPods, and - of course - video games.  I saw this set of stamps by Paper Smooches and had to have it for all the lovers of these gadgets.

Supplies:
Stamps: Paper Smooches
Paper: Recollections Note Card, Husk Cardstock The Ink Pad NYC
Ink: Memento Black
Misc.: Copic Markers, Twine


While making this card, I was trying to think of a fun way to incorporate Tom's name on the card. I remembered that I have been keeping a stash of mini Scrabble tiles that a friend sent to me from Ireland years ago. I decided it would be fun to use them on his card, as not only is Tom a lover of video games, but of all kind of boardgames as well. The contrast between the high tech toys and low tech toys on one card should make him chuckle.

Since I have been saving (hoarding) this Scrabble tiles for some time, I decided to use some of them this weekend and made a few more cards using them.  I will share them later on in the week with you. Is there any supply that you are holding on to?  I hope this card will inspire you to use some of you goodies that you are saving.

I hope Tom had a birthday as special as he is!  Wishing each of you a great day, and hope you find a few moments to do something you love!

Chalkboard Love and Birthday Card For A Babysitter

Hi, guys! Hope your weekend was a good one.  Mine was very productive and very INKY!  I had a bunch of cards to work on for various people.  As I worked, the cards needed started to multiply.  Isn't it funny how that seems to happen?


First list:

List as it stands now:

So, as you can see, I still have a few cards to work on during the week. Can you tell I just love my new chalkboard?  I am sad they are phasing them out of schools. There is something about writing in chalk that I love!

How about I share one of the cards I completed with you? This card I made for a friend to give to celebrate her babysitter's birthday. It was great hearing how wonderful a person and sitter Merla is. Knowing you have a caring and special person caring for your daughter when you are working outside the home must give you such peace of mind.

Supplies:
Stamps: Stamp Camp
Paper: Grape Note Card The Ink Pad NYC, Gina K (Black)
Ink: Versafine Black, Distress Inks, Perfect Pearls Spray (Sunflower)
Misc.: Clear Embossing Powder, Gems, Oval Punches, Computer Generated Name

I love heat embossing cards. It gives such shine and texture to any piece you work on. Perfect Pearl sprays are great to use. I normally find myself just reaching for the Pearl color, but decided to use Sunflower as I thought the vibrant gold/yellow would go great with the shades of purple distress inks.

Wishing Tita Merla a very blessed birthday!  Hope your day is a great one too!

Whimsical Faerie Birthday Wishes

Hi, guys! today I want to share a birthday card I made for my friend Anna. While deciding what card to make for Anna, I came across this little sprite of a faerie.  I think she is just darling. So, I decided to use the photo tinting technique I learned from Tim Holtz while participating in his 12 Tags of 2012. In this technique you add color to selected areas of the photo.  You will notice that I used glossy cardstock for the image, and stamped with a permanent ink (Archival Black).  To add color I used various shades of distress inks.

Supplies:
Stamps:Stampsmith
Paper: Ranger Glossy Cardstock, Stampin' Up
Ink: Archival Ink (Black), Distress Inks
Misc.: Gem, rectangle punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder


This is becoming one of my favorite techniques.  I find it fun and relaxing to color the images and am busy making tags using old family photographs for family members.

Wishing Anna a very happy birthday, and a great year ahead!  May each of you have a day filled with fun and perhaps a bit of magic!

A Heart On The Mend

Hi, guys! Hope you are having a great day!  Today I am sharing a card I made for a special friend.  She is one-of-a-kind and so supportive of my crafting and was the first one to actually pay me to make her a card.  I have the first dollar she gave me framed to this day.   Well, my friend suffered a heart attack on the way to work a few weeks ago.  It was so scary to hear and it is WONDERFUL to hear she is on the mend now.  After thinking about it for a bit, this is the card I came up with for her.  I decided to stamp on an Avery mailing label to make the Band-Aid look realistic and was able to drape it across the heart that way.

Supplies:
Stamps: Vap! Scraps
Paper: G Studio Note Card, Ink Pad NYC Earth Tone, Gingham Creative Imaginations
Ink: Memento Black
Misc.: Copic Marker, Heart and Scallop Heart Spellbinders Dies, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Avery Shipping Label

I am sending this wish out to my friend for a speedy recovery! I miss you each day.

This unsettling experience has reminded me, yet again, that each day is a gift and not to be taken for granted for a minute.

Hoping you have a great day, and each moment is enjoyed to the fullest!

Good Night, America, Bye-Bye and Buy Bonds!

Hi, guys! Hope all is well. This weekend was filled with lots of emotion for me.  This Saturday was the last time my husband and Cranston & Spade Theatre Company performed at Partners & Crime Mystery Booksellers.  Partners & Crime will be closing on September 20th. It is so sad to see another independent bookstore go out of business. The company has been performing there for sixteen years and had a great run there.  The company does recreations of old-time radio shows. They are currently looking for a new venue and I know they will be in operation again soon.

For me, sentimental emotions took over on Saturday watching the final performance there.  I first went to see Alan perform there in December 2008. He invited me to see him in A Christmas Carol as he knew it was a favorite of mine.  He was playing the role of Scrooge.  This is significant to me as it was the beginning of me going out again socially after the loss of my husband Charlie.  After seeing the performance and quite a few more, we started dating and were married in 2010.  The members of the theatre company have come to mean a lot to me as well.  So, seeing this chapter come to a close was rather sad.  There was a happy moment during the performance, though. They had an audience member propose marriage! I love that there was a new beginning starting that night!   So I hope they will be as happy as my husband and I are.

Cranston & Spade Theatre Company

I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for this great group of performers and, more importantly, great people!

Until next time!

Happy 5th Birthday, Isabella!

Hi, guys! Today I am sharing a card I made for a friend to give to her granddaughter for her 5th birthday. My friend emailed me Isabella's picture and I saw she loved to dress up like a princess.  I thought this fun stamp by Suzi Blu would be perfect for her.

Supplies:
Stamps: Stampavie/Suzi Blu
Paper: Stampin' Up, Core-dinations
Ink: Memento Black
Misc.: Copics, Ribbon, Oval punch, Circle Punches, Gems, Dazzling Diamonds

I thought the use of the Dazzling Diamonds on the wings would be a great touch and add to the sparkle of the card.

Hope Isabella has a very happy birthday and a fun-filled 5th year!

Until next time!

How Many Peppers Did Winnie's Inky Fingers Peel?

Hi, guys!  Hope your Labor Day weekend was a great one.  My weekend was a great one filled with family, friends, and good food. Today I spent a bit of time today having a pepper roast.  I had ordered a package of Hatch peppers that were shipped to me during the week.  My hubby and I made a large charcoal fire and grilled all 5 pounds of them.  Let me tell you, the smell alone was worth the effort. After grilling and letting them steam, we peeled and prepped them for freezing.  We have 8 bags full in our freezer now.   Very happy day!

The before shots:

The end results:

I will be making Bobby Flay's Chile burgers, green chile sauces, salsas etc.  This New Yorker is very happy to have these great treasures stored in the freezer.  A very special thank you to Maggie of Maggie's Farm for sharing a great source for them with me.  I ordered from Melissa's at www.melissas.com in case you are somewhere and can't get these yummy peppers for yourself.

I will be sharing some of the other things I was up to this weekend and a card I made tomorrow.

Have a great day, and I hope you keep the holiday state of mind throughout the week!