Playing With Paper!!

Shopping Spree!!

Last week (for whatever reason) I really felt the need to shop - so I did a bit on-line.  It has been so frustrating for me since Scraptasia closed.  I hate not have a scrapbooking store close-I really miss heading to the store on a Saturday for some retail therapy.  I especially miss being able to buy Bazzill - I just don't feel like the stuff you get at Mike's is the same.  So, I found this store on ebay - The Scrap Barn.

 
I got a ton of paper and she combines shipping so it wasn't to bad.  I am so happy - I don't like to feel like my stash is depleted.

I also bought some great paper and stuff from 2 peas:
 
Bunch of stuff from October Afternoon, Cosmo Cricket and Jillie Bean - I can't wait to have some time to play.

Good day!

I had a bit of time yesterday afternoon so I decided to make some cards.  I was looking through the July/August Paper Crafts magazine and came across a really pretty cared - Houndstooth Thanks Card (page 43).  I love Houndstooth so this card immediately inspired me.  This is my version of the card:

 
 
I used Butterfly Prints from SU! and the matching punch.  I bought the patterned paper and ribbon at Scraptasia (sadly now closed :( ).  I love the way this card turned out.  Pretty and elegant.  We are suppose to get more snow (I can't even talk about it anymore - I am so sick of snow) this week so I am hoping to  have time to make some more cards!!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Isn't she cute!

 
I don't know about where you live but here in NJ it is starting to get a bit cold outside.  When the cool weather arrives, I love to pull out this stamp from My Favorite Things - it is really one of my favorite things!   The patterned paper is from Basic Grey;  I used Copic and at you Spica pens to color the image and the ribbon I bought at Scraptasia (actually I bought everything at Scraptasia to create this card!).  Even though I am not looking forward to the cold and snow, I love getting out my  "cold weather" stamps and playing!!!  How about you??

Ahhh...to be 6 again!

 
This is a layout I just finished for my youngest child - Patrick- he turned 6 last January.  He was so excited!!  He talked about nothing else for weeks but what it was going to be like when he turned 6.  So sweet.  I used patterned paper from My Mind's Eye (bought at Scraptasia); cardstock from Bazzill;  chipboard letters from K & Co. and because I can never seem to find birthday related embellishments I created the cupcakes with a stamp from SU!.

I also should mentioned that I got the inspiration for this layout from Allison Davis (again).  I still only have her first sketch book but I have got to get her others.  I really love her ideas!!

Pretty little card to share...

 
OK, so I love this card.  I visited Scraptasia the other day and bought some pre-folded cards from Memory Box and the patterned paper (black & white paper).  The stamped images is from SU! - it's the stamp Elizabeth and the "thinking of you" is from the set Trendy Trees.  The little black pearls are by Queen & Co.  My friend Jen Peel sent me a very pretty card the other day and she inspired me to use my Elizabeth stamp set (thanks Jen).  And this is what I came up with.

And while I was in the card-making mode, I came up with this little beauty:

 
And I can't even tell you how easy this card was.  Again, I used a Memory Box pre-folded card (I wish I had these in every color!) & patterned paper from Scraptasia.  Love the colors - they really jump out at you!!!

Well, hello there.

So, things are getting back to normal and I am getting use to having all the kids in school full day - although sometimes the house is too quiet.  I am working on getting the kids albums up-to-date.  I thought I had finished this but after looking through them again I realized I'd missed a few things.  And they all need new albums this year because the current albums are full!  The following is a title page I made for my son Richard's album:

I used patterned paper from October Afternoon and the bottom cards are also from OA.  The saying is from Die Cuts With a View (had it forever!).  The ribbon is so pretty - it's velor and I bought that at Scraptasia (I just love the ribbon in that store!).  So, what do you think?  I like it - simple, elegant - a nice way to start a book!
 

Run, boy run.

I had so much fun getting pictures of my son Richard last August during football camp.  He was always on the go and I couldn't wait to scrapbook these photos.  I used patterned paper from a paper pad called "school life" by Colorbok (I found it a Marshalls for $2.99); the cardstock is Bazzill; the ribbon was bought at Scraptasia (it's really cool-it feels like suede) and the paper I journaled on is from Making Memories.  Richie learned a lot at camp and worked very hard - but he had a great time too.

Saturday share...

Ah, it's Saturday-the boys had a sleepover with their Aunt, the girls are (quietly) watching TV, the husband is working so I had a chance to finish a card & share.  I used patterned paper from K & Co. (bought in one of those thick pads), the card is by Memory Box (bought at Scraptasia), the stamps are from SU! as well as the punches.  The card has a "window" that says cherish.  So simple and very pretty!!

 
This is a layout I made using October Afternoon patterned paper - my FAVORITE paper in the world.  The pictures are from my mom's birthday last summer.  She lives in a nursing home and for one of their events, the patients got these plastic cowboy hats & she was determined the boys have them.  I love the picture of the boys & my mom all in the hats!!!   So I borrowed the idea for this page from a layout I found in the book Page Maps by Becky Fleck.  The original layout is on page 10 of the book and was done by Becky Fleck.  I love this book because the scrapbookers featured are not afraid to use patterned paper.  The best thing about sketches is making them your own and that's what I did with this layout.

What do you think?
 

Going Old School...do you remember Magic Mesh??

Last Friday, I was at a "rubber" garage sale and stumbled across a bag containing Magic Mesh.  I hesitated & then bought the bag with silver, gold, red and brown MM - it only cost .75 so I figured it was a great deal.  I have always loved Magic Mesh (even though it's not really "cool" anymore) - I love how it can add texture to a piece of paper so easily!  Yesterday, I had an opportunity to play and this is what I came up with:

I used Basic Grey cardstock from SU!; the patterned paper is from Basic Grey (beautiful isn't it); I created the white flower with my Cricut and the embossed with my Texture Boutique; the other flowers are from Prima or punched with a scallop punch; the ribbon is SU!; and, of course, I use Magic Mesh in silver.  I love this card - looks complicated but it was really simple.  On the inside, I have a blank white piece of cardstock with a small grey flower in the right, bottom corner.

This card started with a pre-folded card from Memory Box (I bought them at Scraptasia); the patterned paper is from Paper Salon (again from Scraptasia);  the ribbon and flowers are from Memory Makers; the little pearls and brads are SU! and finally the red Magic Mesh.

These cards aren't my normal style but I love them and they were a lot of fun to create.  Sometime I guess it's good to think outside of your box (and go old school)!!
  

Something about this set...I am hooked!

So, I know that Fifth Avenue Floral is not a new stamp set in the Stampin' Up! world but I love it!  Unfortunately, I haven't purchased it but (thankfully) my friend Jen Peel let me borrow it over the weekend - even after I "kidnapped" her Simple Birthday Thanks for several months (she's very forgiving!!).I love the simplicity and sophistication of Fifth Avenue - I never get tired of using it.

I used Black, Bravo Burgundy and Basic Gray inks from SU!.  For the polka dots, I used a clean pencil eraser (great trick but make sure your eraser is clean!).  The card reads "Your too Kind" on the outside and on the inside "Thanks very much".  Love this card - pretty, simple and elegant!

I thought I share a project I made for my office.  I LOVE October Afternoon - actually it is becoming an obsession with me.  The first paper I saw from October Afternoon was from the Hometown collection and it remains my favorite.  I have bought several sheets and use on scrapbooking pages, cards and to decorate my office.  These are my 2 favorite papers from Hometown:

I am always looking for ways to incorporate the paper into my office decor and this is my newest idea.  I bought this plastic container because I used the bubble gum inside as part of my teacher gifts at the end of the year.  And I loved the shape of the container and knew I could use it for something - this is what I came up with:

 
 

I used Adirondack inks to color the plastic part of the container; then I cut the paper to wrap around the container and then I embellished it with extra paper and the little butterfly (I bought it from Scraptasia but I can't remember who makes it??).  I put my extra change in here to save so I can buy more stuff!!!  This is what the top looks like:

Let me know what you think?