Hippo Birdie

Hello friends! Happy Friday!

Popping in with a quick creation this afternoon. I always need birthday cards for my stash so when I find a good sketch (like this week's Deconstructed Sketch) I tend to create a few cards at the same time all with the same layout!

I used an image and sentiment from Avery Elle and some DP from Fancy Pants. My hippo and birdie are colored with my Spectrum Noir markers and I popped the birdie up on the hippo's back.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek! Enjoy your weekend!

stamps: Hipster-Potamus (Avery Elle)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: cherry cobbler, very vanilla (SU!); Happy Go Lucky DP (Fancy Pants)

accessories: Spectrum Noir markers; twine (Lawn Fawn)

walking ghosts

Happy Monday friends! I have a cute little Halloween card to share with you today. I think I've mentioned before that we live in the city touted as "the Halloween Capital of the World". (Seriously- google it and Anoka, MN will be the first to pop up!) Halloween is a BIG deal around our little town and we have many events happening throughout October related to this holiday! One such event is the walking ghost tours where local historians lead groups of people around our city and point out the historic homes and tell of the former residents who, some say, still reside in those homes. The tour guides are all dressed in periodic clothing and it is quite entertaining. You can go on a walking ghost tour every year and hear different stories each time!

I used Reverse Confetti's Spooky Sentiments and Spooky Cuties for my card today. The DP is all from the Raven collection by Glitz and my layout is this week's deconstructed sketch. I outlined a few of the words in the sentiment with my black Spica glitter pen for sparkle and added glitter to my ghost with my quickie glue pen.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

stamps: Spooky Sentiments, Spooky Cuties (Reverse Confetti) 

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: basic black, whisper white (SU!); Raven DP (Glitz)

accessories: black gems (Kaiser Craft); banner trio die (WPlus9); glitter (SU!); black Spica Glitter pen (Copic)

Sunny Days

Hello Friends! We are having a BEAUTIFUL stretch of weather here in Minneapolis! Sunny Days galore :) These kinds of days always make me more productive and I have been doing some major purging in the basement! We have lived here for 15 years and there are things down there that haven't even been taken out of moving boxes since then! It has been great for our local Goodwill store!

Sunny days always get me in the mood to craft too. I used last week's deconstructed sketch, some Reverse Confetti stamps and some DP from LilyBee Designs to make this sweet little card.

There's still 6x6 paper pads and Spectrum Noir markers on sale over at i {heart} papers but it won't last much longer so get to shopping!

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: I Like You (Reverse Confetti)

ink: memento dandelion, memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: basic black, very vanilla, so saffron (SU!); Sweet Shoppe DP (LilyBee Designs)

accessories: glitter (SU!); button (?); sun die (Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge); blue twine (Hemptique); black pearls (Kaiser Craft); yellow silk ribbon (Creative Impressions)

Wowzers!

Happy Friday friends! We are enjoying a beautiful string of weather here and our plans today, and for the rest of the weekend, include working on the exterior of our house. We need to stain the deck and clean our vinyl siding. It's a big job but some body's got to do it, right ;) Before I got ushered outside, I snuck down to my craft room  to whip up a little something! 

There are 42 special challenges going on over at SCS but they are only available to Fan Club members. It's a party that happens every year and includes PRIZES for creations! I've been a Fan Club member for 4 years now and it is worth every penny. The galleries of inspiration are just phenomenal- really! If you're not a Fan Club member, you should be and now is a great time to join to get in on all of the 2013 Dare to Get Dirty Challenges!

I combined 2 Dare to Get Dirty challenges along with this week's Deconstructed sketch for my card today. A quick and easy teen boy card!

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Exclamations (CAS-ual Fridays)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: basic black, pumpkin pie, whisper white (SU!); Bowties DP (Basic Grey); Walnut Grove DP (Pebbles)

accessories: star die (WPlus9); star punch (SU!); orange twine (Lawn Fawn); black gem (Kaiser Craft)

Freakin' Great!

Hello friends! We have had an exciting week with my 15 year-old's soccer team! They had a great season and only lost 1 game (the very first one!) and then went on to dominate their league the rest of the season. When they got to play-offs, they knew it would be tough. Other teams get really fired up about trying to beat the league winners and the games get very physical and very intense! Our boys came through the qualifiers tournament still at the top and finally made the bid for state! They had 3 games to play in the State Tournament and last night- they won the whole thing! We have never experienced this tournament in all of our years as soccer parents and it was just awesome! The boys had huge smiles on their faces the rest of the night. Our club director even made the trip down to see the boys play. After the game we all went to dinner together and enjoyed good food and good company. 

This is the card I made for him to congratulate him and his winning efforts! My layout is this week's Deconstructed Sketch. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

stamps: Hipster-potamus (Avery Elle); Slang Gang (Paper Smooches)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: basic black (SU!); Ultra Smooth premium white card stock (Spectrum Noir); Well Played DP (Carta Bella)

accessories: circle, scallop circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); tag punch (SU!); red gems (Kaiser Craft); scallop border punch (Fiskars); black ribbon (Michaels')

Swagger

Hello friends! Man- I think I need a vacation! My daughter and I came back from our mission trip early Sunday evening (after 8 hours in the car),  took LONG showers and promptly fell into bed! Monday was spent pretty much recuperating and sorting through mail and emails. I did take a break and took my youngest son to Despicable Me 2 for popcorn dinner though;) Tuesday I did loads and loads of laundry, played a couple of board games with the 10 year-old and then took him to soccer practice. Yesterday my daughter and I took my youngest son to meet up with his 2 older brothers and my husband at Boy Scout camp for the rest of the week (another 5 hours in the car). We toured the camp and had dinner with the boys and then headed home. This morning I uploaded a lot of cards to SCS and Pinterest, updated my sidebar with our new DT members (you really need to check them out- they are FABULOUS), went through my crafty emails and finally got a chance to create! 

My card is for today's (ooh look at that I'm participating on the actually day!) Deconstructed Sketch. I used my Hipster-Potamus by Avery Elle, added a bit of shading with my Spectrum Noir markers and dressed him up with a hat and moustache! The sentiment is from Paper Smooches Slang Gang set (a frequent favorite here with teenagers in my house!). I think he looks quite dapper!

I'm off to weed my flowerbed in the sunshine (I actually enjoy this) and then I think I'll sit on the deck with a cold beverage and read because I deserve it!

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Hipster-Potamus (Avery Elle); Slang Gang (Paper Smooches)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: naturals ivory, baked brown sugar (SU!); Swagger DP (Fancy Pants)

accessories: circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); word window punch (SU!); button (?); twine (Hemptique); Spectrum Noir markers; moustache die (Memory Box); paper distresser

Dude!

Happy Saturday friends! We are off for the day to visit relatives "up north" and attend a Pig Roast wedding reception. We are spending the night in a hotel and the kids can't wait to swim!

My card today uses Jen's Deconstructed sketch and a cute little surfer dude from Stampendous. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches Slang Gang set. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

stamps: Surfer kiddo (Stampendous); Slang Gang (Paper Smooches)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: crumb cake, whisper white (SU!); Bowties DP (Basic Grey)

accessories: orange twine (Lawn Fawn); baubles dew drops (Robin's Nest); circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); oval punch (SU!)

Father's Day

Hello friends! Today I am sharing the Father's Day cards I made for my husband and my FIL. Yesterday we had a morning filled with soccer games and then came home, tidied the yard and the house and my in-laws came over for steak, grilled veggies and apple pie! It was a beautiful day and very enjoyable! 

This first card is for my husband from my kids (although they each made their own special card too- I've taught them well!) I used a deconstructed sketch, some Bowties DP and my Space Cadet stamps by Paper Smooches. I'm not a very good artist so my moon has a bit to be desired ;) I added some glassy accents to the astronaut's helmet too for a bit of shine.

This next card is for my FIL. Again I used some Bowties DP and this time an older Hero Arts set called Joy Ride that I still love! Quick and easy!

Hope you are off to a great start to your week and thanks for stopping by!

Important Crew Member

stamps: Space Cadet (Paper Smooches)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: crumb cake, very vanilla (SU!); Bowties DP (Basic Grey)

accessories: ribbon (Michael's); circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); blue gems (Kaiser Craft); glassy accents (Ranger); glitter (SU!); Spectrum Noir markers

Happy Father's Day

stamps: Joy Ride (Hero Arts); Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU!)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: marina mist, very vanilla (SU!); Bowties DP (Basic Grey)

accessories: circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); ribbon (Michael's); blue gem (Kaiser Craft); banner trio die (WPlus9)

The Whole Box of Crayons

Hello friends! My card today is for this week's deconstructed sketch. I used a new Reverse Confetti set called Dream in Color that I bought at i {heart} papers! I'm so excited about this new company that Jen del Muro has created and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! Anyways, I layered up my sentiment on some Kneehighs DP by Basic Grey and tied it all up with some black Hemptique twine.

I'm so sorry my picture is so dark. It has been dreary and overcast here in Minneapolis for the past few weeks! I can't believe it's June- we are still wearing jeans and sweatshirts most days. . .

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Dream in Color (Reverse Confetti)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: basic black (SU!); Kneehighs DP (Basic Grey)

accessories: scallop border punch (Fiskars); clear gems (Kaiser Craft); oval, scallop oval nestabilities (Spellbinders); black twine (Hemptique); button (?)

Hot Dog!

Hello my Friends! Yesterday I received my order from i {heart} papers and, knowing that I had oodles of stuff to accomplish before I could stamp, I diligently put it in my craft room unopened. BUT- as soon as my kids were out the door for school this morning, I ran down to my craft room and tore into my package! I was most excited about the dies that I ordered from Paper Smooches. I LOVE Paper Smooches stamps but had never tried the dies until today. The dies don't come with a guide or anything but I found them pretty easy to use! I started by cutting the dog out of Ultra Smooth white card stock and then laying my die cut on my black Basic Grey magnetic mat (making it easy to see the edges). Then I inked up my matching dog stamp with some Tuxedo Black ink and carefully matched up the die cut outline with my stamp through the acrylic block and pressed down. I think it looks pretty darn good! I then colored my pup with my Spectrum Noir markers and layered him up on some Family Ties DP. My sentiment is from Cas-ual Fridays Exclamations set and my layout is this week's Deconstructed Sketch.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

stamps: Woofers and Tweeters (Paper Smooches); Exclamations (CAS-ual Fridays)

ink: memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) 

paper: Ultra Smooth white card stock (Crafter's Companion); Family Ties DP (Pebbles)

accessories: Miss Nelly gems (Kaiser Craft); woofers die (Paper Smooches); yellow button (?); green twine (Hemptique); Spectrum Noir markers

Adore

Hello my crafty friends! I'm finally getting back into the crafty mode after some (unintended) time off! Soccer is once again in full swing so we are busy shuttling the kids all across town to the various soccer fields and my crafting time has become quite limited. . . Anyways,  I was so excited to see that Jen is celebrating her 100th Deconstructed Sketch this week! I love sketch challenges (I think I've mentioned that before) and her's is always a good one! For my card, I used my beloved Paper Smooches stamps, some MME DP and my Spectrum Noir markers. On my kitty, I added some glitter to her eyeshadow for a little girlie bling! 

I have a bit of a confession to make. For my daughter's Prom a few weeks ago, her friend came over to do her hair and makeup. Her friend made my daughter's eyes look so beautiful and really "pop" with just the right shades of shadow and eyeliner. It was gorgeous but not too made up. I asked her friend how she learned to apply her makeup so nicely and she said that she watches Youtube videos! So, I've been watching them lately too! I'm not much of a make-up wearer but I love seeing some of the looks these women create just with different eye shadows, liners and lipsticks. It's amazing and really informative, not to mention entertaining! My favorites are the girls from the UK- I love listening to their accents! (so maybe I would have more time to craft if I stopped watching make-up videos?!!) So that's why my kitty has such sparkly eyes today!

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Party Posse,  Good Gab (Paper Smooches)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: cherry cobbler, very vanilla (SU!); Unforgettable DP (MME)

accessories: flower punch, word window punch, glitter (SU!); Spectrum Noir markers; pearl brad (?)

Happy Birthday

My middle school aged son attended his first boy/girl birthday party last weekend! The birthday girl was a friend from school and he really wanted to attend. He said they had a really good time and when my husband went into the house to pick him up he heard LOTS of giggling! 

This is the card I made for the birthday girl. I wanted it to be somewhat feminine but not too girlie that it would embarrass my son. I chose Jen's deconstructed sketch to work with and some fun DP from the Family Ties collection by Pebbles. I colored my cute puppy with my Spectrum Noir markers and added some glitter to her bow.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

stamps: Woofers & Tweeters, Sentiment Sampler (paper Smooches)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: pacific point, whisper white (SU!); Family Ties DP (Pebbles)

accessories: circle, scallop circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); scallop border punch (Fiskars); Spectrum Noir markers; glitter (SU!); green rhinestone gems (Kaiser Craft); banner die (WPlus9)

Big Thanks

Happy April my friends! My card today is for my parents who hosted the kids and I at their house in Arizona for our spring break a few weeks ago. I used last week's Deconstructed Sketch and some Family Ties DP by Pebbles. My sentiment is from Technique Tuesday's Big Thanks set (love this one!). I kept it pretty simple so that it can be easily mailed.

I think Spring is finally on it's way to our neck of the woods! The streets were flowing with melting snow over the weekend and the birds are chirping like crazy! Today, however, it is only 34 degrees and will be the coldest Home Opener in history for the MN Twins baseball game tonight! We have tickets for April 16th's game so I'm hoping it's a titch warmer by then ;) See the smudge on my card around the "thanks". Yea, on my way out the front door to take pictures, I dropped my card in the only little snow pile left in our yard!! Face down of course! I brushed it off as quickly as possible but, well, it adds character right?

Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to stop in and say "hi" to Laura Bassen- she is i {heart} papers guest design team member this month!

stamps: Big Thanks (Technique Tuesday)

ink: night of navy (SU!)

paper: crumb cake, very vanilla (SU!): Family Ties DP (Pebbles)

accessories: oval nestabilities (Spellbinders); green twine (Hemptique)

What's Up?

Hello friends! I had a very productive day of stamping yesterday (a clean desk does WONDERS for the stamping mojo!) and I am excited to share my crafty creations with you! Today's card is for Jen's Deconstructed Sketch 91. I used some stamps from Paper Smooches and some DP by Echo Park. I'm enjoying coloring with my Spectrum Noir markers and used them on my little robot. I carefully trimmed him out and popped him up on my banner.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

stamps: Good Gab, Little Fella (Paper Smooches) 

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: night of navy, real red, whisper white (SU!); Scoot DP (Echo Park)

accessories: trio banner dies (WPlus9); button (?); orange twine (Hemptique); Spectrum Noir markers; glitter (SU!); silver baubles (Sierra Pacific Crafts)

Be Prepared

Hello Friends! I'm back today with another card using my new Spectrum Noir markers. I'm getting used to the different colors and I really like the fine tip end of the markers after using the brush tip of Copics. I think there is a bit more control. . .

Anyways, each year the Lions in our community generously donate to our Boy Scout Troop and each year I volunteer to make the thank you card! I used my Boy Scout from My Favorite Things and I colored him up and layered him on some MME DP. I also used my beloved banner trio dies from WPlus9 for the Scout sentiments. My layout is last week's Deconstructed Sketch.

I love this little cutie and use him often for my Scout related cards but I'm wishing I had other Scout stamps to add to my collection. I also have a couple of sets from Our Daily Bread Designs that are patriotic and get a lot of use for Scouts, but I'm always looking for more! Anybody have any ideas for me?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Oh- i {heart} papers is REALLY close to reaching the 3,000 fan mark on Facebook (and I hear when that happens there's going to be a SALE!) so go over to the Facebook page and "like" us!

stamps: Boy Scout (MFT)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: crumb cake, very vanilla, early espresso (SU!); Fly A Kite DP (MME)

accessories: banner dies (WPlus9); buttons (?); purple twine, orange twine (Hemptique); Spectrum Noir markers

Snow Days

Good afternoon friends! I'm back with a card I colored using my new Spectrum Noir markers from i {heart} papers. I started with a stamp from Flourishes Snow Day set and stamped it in tuxedo black ink. The nice thing about the Flourishes stamps are that they give you "hints" on where to shade with the line shading! I have the basic set of 72 markers and found that I was wishing I had a few more colors (especially lighter colors) to help with my shading. Now I am NOT a very good colorer (? is that a word?) but I enjoy doing it and these markers were easy to work with! I'm excited to add to my color collection and with the price per marker being MUCH less than Copics, I should be able to complete my set quickly! BTW- my layout is this week's Deconstructed Sketch.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

stamps: Snow Day (Flourishes)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: very vanilla, crumb cake (SU!); Now & Then DP (Theresa Collins)

accessories: scallop border punch (Fiskars); oval, scallop oval, corner punches (SU!); taupe pearls (Zva Creative); Spectrum Noir markers; natural twine (Hempique)

Snow Day

Hello friends! My card today is for Jen's Deconstructed Sketch. I love sketch challenges and this one was a fun one! I colored my PI cutie with my Copics and added some sparkle to the snow. All of the DP is from the Hopscotch collection by Fancy Pants.

We don't have much snow here (yet) and the schools in our district NEVER close in the winter. (I'm pretty sure you could Google Anoka-Hennepin District #11 and that would be one of the statistics that would show up first!) So it's very unlikely that our kids will have a snow day this year- but they can always hope ;)!

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Snow Day (MFT)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)
paper: pumpkin pie, very vanilla (SU!); Hopscotch DP (Fancy Pants)
accessories: oval, scallop oval nestabilites (Spellbinders); scallop border punch (Fiskars); orange will ribbon (May Arts); buttons (?); orange twine (Lawn Fawn);glitter (SU!); Copics sketch markers

Watt's Up?!

I know, I know, you've heard it a million times already but can you believe it's already December?!! We've gotten most of our Christmas shopping done and we put up the tree this weekend so now I just have my holiday treats to bake and giftys to make. 

I wasn't quite in the holiday mood this morning so I decided to keep working on my stash of everyday cards. (Besides, it's sunny and 55 degrees here with NO SNOW so it's not feeling quite like December just yet!) For this one I used Jen's deconstructed sketch, some Technique Tuesday stamps and Everyday Eclectic DP by Echo Park. I colored my light bulb with my Copics and added some glitter for sparkle.  I'm loving this stamp set so I'm sure you will see a lot more of it!

stamps: Bright Idea (Technique Tuesday)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: melon mambo (SU!); Copic blending card stock (X-Press); Every Eclectic DP (Echo Park)

accessories: corner rounder (CM); Copic sketch markers; hot pink gems (Kaiser Craft); bubblegum twine (Doodlebug); button (?)

Fairy Good

Hello friends! Like I said yesterday, I'm a sketch junkie and one of my favorite sketch sites is deconstructingjen.com.  Jen Shults posts great sketches every Thursday (plus she does amazing coloring!!) This card I made for a friend using last week's Deconstructed Sketch. I pulled out my Stampingbella Ketto fairies that have been sitting idle for far too long, colored up miss Maisy Ketto and layered her up on some Ruby Lost & Found DP by MME. What is a fairy without sparkly wings?! Some SU! glitter completes my card.

Thanks for stopping!

stamps: Maisy Ketto (Stampingbella)

ink: memento london fog (Tsukineko)

paper: riding hood red, very vanilla, sahara sand (SU!); Ruby Lost & Found DP (MME)

accessories: ribbon, glitter, word window punch (SU!); Copic sketch markers; square, scallop square nestabilities (Spellbinders); CM circle cutter; tiny flower punch (Target $ spot); pearl (Kaiser Craft)

It's Party Time!

i {heart} papers is thrilled to be celebrating our 4^th birthday this month! We know there’s no way we could have made it this far without each and every one of our loyal customers sharing their IHP love with their friends or following us on Facebook, Twitter, our blog or through our newsletter. So, our celebration is really a celebration of YOU and our gift to you is a 25% off coupon for the whole store, valid 10/16-1-/20 (valid on in stock items not, not valid on gift certificates or prior orders). Use code: 4bdayDT
NOTE: Shop early! Once seasonal items are sold out, they will most likely not be restocked. Also, the store will be closed from Oct 18-25th and there will be no shipping during this time. Orders will resume shipping on 10/26.

We will also have a giveaways on the blog and on Twitter during these days (they’ll be linked from Facebook too but since giveaways aren’t technically allowed on Facebook we have to do it on the blog!) so be sure to check in daily to see how to enter.


But wait! There’s more! Long time customers know that Kate is a huge dog rescue advocate, volunteering for a local dog rescue, transporting dogs in need and doing rescue work on Facebook. October happens to also be Adopt A Shelter Dog month, as well as the birthday of one of Kate’s dogs and the Gotcha/Adoption day of the other. So, in honor of all of that, IHP will be donating 10% of all sales during the birthday sale to Home For Good Dog Rescue, Eleventh Hour Rescue and Pilots ‘n Paws. And if you make your own donation to any of these organizations, we will send you a gift certificate to IHP for 50% of your donation amount (these will be sent at the end of the month). Just email us a copy of your donation receipt and we’ll email you a gift certificate!

Today is also our monthly Design Team challenge and this month we are continuing on with the birthday theme. We were given this picture (from this wonderful site) as our inspiration:

I made a birthday card for my niece with Gourmet Rubber Stamps Swingin' Spring set. I colored my little girl with my Copics and layered her up on some Lavender DP by MME. You might recognize my layout as last week's Deconstructed Sketch.

Check out the rest of the team!

• Carolyn


• Deb


• Gretchen


• Judy


• Lori


• Taylor


• Tracy


• Kate

Thanks so much for stopping by and don't forget to go shopping!!

stamps: Swingin' Spring (Gourmet Rubber Stamps)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: very vanilla (SU!); textured pink (Bazzill); Lavender DP (MME)

accessories: pom pom trim (May Arts); pearls, pink button (SU!); circle and scallop circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); Copic sketch markers; natural twine string (Creative Impressions); banner trio die (WPlus9)