Pretty Lady Birthday Chipboard Tag

Making this tag this afternoon made my Friday.  The concept of it began in my mind around 4:30 this morning and I just couldn’t wait to get started making it.  Of course, things had to be done before the making of the tag.  Once all the chores and running around were completed, I was able to play with the concept of the tag and bring my vision to life.  A couple of weeks ago I got this Fashionista in one of Unity’s weekly sales.  She’s been on my mind and I just couldn’t wait to make a tag using her.  Tracey Malnofski’s fashionistas are fun to color, paper-piece, and cut.  They just come to life before my eyes and remind me of simpler times when I was little and would play with paper dolls.  I played around using the color challenge from Unity’s [be inspired] challenge on the tag.  I hope you like it as much as I do.  Awesome Friday!  Clicking on the image below will take you to this month’s Unity {be inspired} Challenge.

Happy Birthday Pretty Lady Tag Supplies

Sabrina {fashionista} and sentiment by Tracey Malnofski available at Unity Stamp Company (scanned into my computer, colored with Copic markers and the airbrush in Sketchbook Pro 6 and paper-pieced using digital patterned paper by Basic Grey in Photoshop Elements, converted to png file, and printed-and-cut with my Silhouette Cameo and Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550). Tracey’s image was mounted to the card base using 3D Zots for dimension here and there and Tombow Multi Mono Liquid Glue.

The Tim Holtz Tag & Bookplates Die by Sizzix was cut using my Silhouette Cameo from digital patterned paper by Nancie Rowe Janitz and chipboard.  OF NOTE:  The silhouette of the fashionista was welded to the tag shape in Silhouette Studio. I love doing that!  The tag topper was embossed using a Tim Holtz embossing folder in a Spellbinders Grand Calibur. Pumice Stone Distress Ink was applied to the edges of the tag and the tag topper.  Mustard Seed Distress Ink and a Picket Fence Distress Marker were also applied to the tag topper.

The doily tag topper is available from the Silhouette America Online Store and was cut in half in Silhouette Studio. 

All print-and-cut pieces were cut from Matte Photo Paper by Staples using my Silhouette Cameo/Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550.

White accents from Imaginisce were applied to the bow on the cake using their I-Rock tool.

Heavy duty jute from the hardware store was applied to the tag by tying a bow.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Aah! Spring

So I live in California where we’re experiencing an extreme drought. From recollection, it seems we should get quite a bit of rain in our spring months, March, April, & May, and I’m hoping so as in these past winter months, we’ve not experienced much winter weather.  See chart below (clicking on it should make it larger) acquired from http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/.

Most years I do look forward to spring to see flowers, sun, and wildlife, but this spring, I’m hoping we get some rain.  If not, I’m pretty sure this will have a tremendous effect not only to residents of California but everyone. California is the biggest food producer in the United States in terms of dollars of produce sold.  We will experience HIGHER FOOD PRICES among other serious economic tragedies.  California also exports tremendous volumes of fruits, vegetables and cattle overseas.  EVERYONE will feel the effects of our drought.  I’m waiting for rain.  Heck, I just wanna wash my car . . .  Anyway, enough of that. I’m sure people in other states, after THEIR past winters, are probably saying they wish they could experience a drought.  It just worries me.  No rain = NO water.

Ahh! Spring Card Supplies

The flower on the card base is from a NEW kit, Botanicals, by Nancie Rowe Janitz that will be available this Friday at jessicasprague.com and it’s a pretty fabulous kit to color!  It was colored in Sketchbook Pro 6 using the air brush in that application.  It was saved as a png file and retrieved in Silhouette Studio where it was traced and made into a cut file, printed-and-cut, and was applied to the base of the card using 3D zots for the bloom.  The button that was applied to the bloom was sewn using the appropriate button foot with my Singer Futura. 

The card base and font (LDJ Whale Tail) are by Silhouette America.  The card base was cut from Krafty Premium Cardstock by Core’dinations. 

The journaling cards used for this print-and-cut Project Life card is from Amy Tangerine’s Cut & Past Digital Project Life kit available at Digital Project Life. They were retrieved in Silhouette Studio where they were traced, made into a cut file, and then printed-and-cut and applied to the base of the card using my Scotch ATG.  The little heart is from the Just Add Color Collection, available at Digital Project Life, which was made into a cut file and printed-and-cut.  Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter was applied to the heart using Glossy Accents.

All printed-and-cut pieces from above were printed-and-cut using Matte Photo Paper by Staples using my Silhouette Cameo and HP Photosmart B8550.

Let Them Eat Cake Tea Towel!

What fun I had today!  I’ve had a set of plain ordinary cotton tea towels I picked up from Walmart about a year ago that have gone unused. They were just waiting for the perfect image to adorn them.  The other day, I came across the following digital stamp by Tracey Malnofski perusing The Stamping Boutique. Immediately I knew what was going to go down!  This digital stamp is only $3.25 and because it’s digital, you don’t pay for shipping and you get it FAST!  Clicking on the image above will take you directly to the product page at The Stamping Boutique.

Today I got started with the process.  The image was retrieved in Sketchbook Pro 6 where it was colored using various brushes, including an air brush, with several Copic markers on my Wacom tablet.  In the beginning, I was recording the Copic colors, so that I could list them for you, but be warned, toward the end, I stopped listing them because the list just got too big:  R29 Lipstick Red, R39 Garnet, RV32 Shadow Pink, RV04 Shock Pink, Y11 Pale Yellow, Y17 Golden Yellow, B95 Light Grayish Cobalt, B06 Peacock Blue, E00 Skin White, E33 Sand, and then I stopped remembering to list them . . . I’ll get better I promise.

Once I was done coloring, and it took a while, I retrieved it in Silhouette DE, sized it to fit my towel, traced it to make it a cut file, flipped it horizontally, and printed-and-cut it from ordinary t-shirt transfer paper for white-colored fabrics. I pressed my tea towel and followed the directions of the transfer paper to lay the image down.  Once it was cooled, I peeled off the backing and had the most cutest tea towel EVER.  This was a super easy project to do, trust me!  This would make a great house warming gift.  In the near future, I think I see some Unity Fashionista tea towels, too. And why not?!

Happy Together

When you take a picture of yourself it’s called a selfie.  What do you call a couple that takes their picture? Is it a selfie +1?  Is it a married selfie?  Is it a twosie? I have no idea.

Last summer while we were enjoying the yard swing, my hubby was such a good sport and let me take selfies of us.  Of course I wanted to—I just had my hair done.  I probably took 50 pictures.  My husband kept cracking me up along the way.  He’s very good at that. This was the one I liked the best, so I just had to scrap it using Unity Stamp Company’s sketch from their challenge this month.  I turned the sketch around and changed the size from 12-x-12 to 11-x-8-1/2.  Sometimes I like that size, that’s why.  Here’s a link to this month’s challenge:  http://theunitystampco-challenge.blogspot.com/2014/02/may-hope-sustain-you.html.

Happy Together Layout Supplies

Just a Little . . . Clicky stamp by Angie Blom available at Unity Stamp Company (scanned into my computer, colored in Sketchbook Pro 6, converted to png file, and printed-and-cut (parts, not all) with my Silhouette Cameo and Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550). Some of the little cameras were mounted to the page using 3D Zots for dimension here and there and Tombow Multi Mono Liquid Glue.

The following are available at the Silhouette America Online Store: the font used for journaling is LW Cursive Sketch; the heart border is by American Crafts; Happy Together is by Jamie Koay; and the instagrammed photo frame is by Sara Hurley.  They were cut/printed  from Matte Photo Paper by Staples.  Most of the layout was printed onto printable adhesive Kraft paper.  The pieces were printed-and-cut using my Silhouette Cameo/Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550 with the Just Add Color Collection available at Digital Project Life and Stuck on You by One Little Bird available at The Lilypad.  I used the black Silhouette Sketch Pen with the continuous feature selected in the software around the frame/sentiments, heart border, and for journaling.  A white Prismacolor pencil was used to fill in the cameras here and there.

The heart border was adhered to the layout using my Singer Futura and white embroidery thread.

Mouse Pad Makeover—it needed it!

Whew! Way better.  Below is a picture of what my mouse pad looked like before.  I can’t believe I’ve been using my mouse on that thing.

See--Not at all cute was it?  It’s much better now that I’ve added some Unity beauty to it which was paired with an exquisite patterned print by Nancie Rowe Janitz.

To do this, I outlined the shape of the mouse pad with a sharpie on some white cardstock, scanned it into my computer, filled the shape with pretty images, and made it a cut file in Silhouette Studio. Then I printed-and-cut it with my Silhouette Cameo onto their printable cotton canvas which just happens to be sticky-backed.  Easy-peas-y-OH-so-pleas-y.  I just stuck it right over the old image on the mouse pad.  Now it’s lovely!! 

Mouse Pad Makeover Supplies List

Old yucky mouse pad

Love You Just the Way You Are and Girl of the Moment stamp sets from Unity Stamp Company which were scanned into my computer, colored with various brushes in Sketchbook Pro 6, and filled into the mouse pad shape in Photoshop Elements where the sentiment was resized and Nancie’s print from Scrap Arts Start 7 (available at jessicasprague.com) was added in the shape.  The entire image was then saved as a png, traced and was made a cut file in Silhouette Studio, and then printed-and-cut with my Silhouette Cameo and Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550) onto printable cotton canvas which was then adhered to the top of the OLD mouse pad.

This was a very rewarding project.  In the past, when I’ve used the printable cotton canvas from Silhouette, it’s stood the test of time and wear and tear.  Remember the tablet case I made over using it?  That was around six months or so ago and it’s still intact and looking great.  Try it.  You’ll like it, I promise.

YOU Take My Breath Away

Well today is LOVE day!  I’ve had one of the best yet.  The kids were off from school and we ate heart-shaped yummies and played most of the day.  It’s still not over, though.  I had to squeeze ONE more Valentine-themed card into the holiday using Unity Stamps, of course. I’ve used this same stamped image recently and just couldn’t help myself from playing with it again.  This time I tried using Copic markers.  I’m sure you can tell I need more experience with them and I plan on doing just that!

YOU Take My Breath Away Card Supplies

Your Love Blows Me Away Stamp Set by Phyllis Harris available at Unity Stamp Company (scanned into my computer, colored with Copic markers in Sketchbook Pro 6, converted to png file, and printed-and-cut with my Silhouette Cameo and Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550). Phyllis’s image was mounted to the card base using 3D Zots for dimension here and there and Tombow Multi Mono Liquid Glue.

The card (A2 Heart Pop Dot Card--with heart removed--by Lori Whitlock) is available from the Silhouette America Online Store.  It was cut from Matte Photo Paper by Staples and white cardstock by Georgia Pacific.  The card/card pieces were printed-and-cut using my Silhouette Cameo/Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550 with Crate Paper’s Maggie Holmes Full Collection available at ACDigitals.  I used the black Silhouette Sketch Pen with the continuous feature selected in the software around the frame.

The button was adhered to the sentiment/card using my Singer Futura and black embroidery thread.

I hope you all had a LOVEly Valentine’s Day.  I’m going to go and open the Frivolo my husband brought home for me and eat the chocolate-dipped strawberries my daughter, Brandi, got for me.  YiPPee!   

To My Cupcake—TSB Challenge!

Today is Valentine’s Day!  This weeks challenge over at The Stamping Boutique Challenge Blog is Valentine/Love Cards.  Come take a peek at what the DT came up with to get your creative juices flowing. 

The above picture shows my submission to this week’s challenge using #301 Cupcake Digital Stamp from The Stamping Boutique with a Unity Stamp Company stamp for the sentiment, Crate Paper’s Paper Heart Collection from ACDigitals for paper piecing, and a shaped card from the Silhouette America Online store for the card base. 

If you want to take part in the challenge and win some Stamping Boutique goodies, the requirements are quite simple:

1. Your project must follow the theme.

2. You can enter a card, scrapbook layout, altered item, etc...

3. It must be a new creation.

4. Please connect to the actual blog post where your project is located.

5. If your card is chosen as WINNER and you have used an image from The Stamping Boutique, then you win three digital stamp images from The Stamping Boutique.  If you have used another image, you can win two digital stamp images from The Stamping Boutique.

This challenge ends on February 20 at 5:00 pm EST.

Here’s the link to this week’s challenge:  http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/challenge-4-valentinelove-card.html.

Quick & Easy Teacher Valentine Gifts

These literally took me minutes to put together.  From start to finish, these were done in 15 minutes.  I even put them together this morning before we left for school with the Minecraft Valentines.  They were a kind of last-minute thought.  I purchased the large Ghirardelli bars the other day but didn’t think to package them until last minute—this morning.  I used a large candy bar Silhouette cut file with Crate Paper’s Fourteen Collection from ACDigitals to print-and-cut.  They were assembled and twine from my local hardware store was used to tie a bow and attach a tag.  I am MOST often thankful for my Silhouette and printer, but mostly, on days like these.  Quick and simple and we were out the door with gifts in hand.

BE MINEcraft Valentines Wrapper (Pinterest-Inspired)

This year for Gwen and Raiden’s Valentines I used a free printable I found perusing Pinterest for Minecraft-inspired valentines.  The AWESOME Free Printable can be found here:  http://club.chicacircle.com/be-minecraft-valentines-candy-wrapper-printable/

Most years we do DIY valentines and I’m so glad to have found the above printable.  Once I downloaded the PDF, I converted it to a cut file for my Silhouette.  After all, DIY doesn’t have to be strenuous, does it?  My printer/Silhouette did all of the printing-and-cutting for us.  We just had to score, fold, and adhere to the box.  Also added was a sticker for each of their names to the boxes which was also done with my Silhouette using their white sticker paper.  We did 68 of these babies, 32 for Gwen’s class and 36 for Raiden’s.  Aren’t they just adorable?!

Will YOU Be Mine

What a pure, ROMANTIC image and one of my favorites from Unity Stamp Company.  Perfect image to use today with Northern California getting RAIN and quite a bit of it.  Finally.  We need a lot more but I’m celebrating what we’re getting now.

Will You Be Mine Card Supplies

The sentiment is from the November 2013 Kit of the Month and the couples image is called Rain or Shine and it’s an Itty-Bitty.  Both stamps are available at Unity Stamp Company.

The scalloped circle frame (frame shape welded to standard-sized card to make the “shaped” card) is available from the Silhouette America Online Store.  The card/card pieces were print-and-cut using my Silhouette Cameo/Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550 with the Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm and Crate Paper’s Paper Heart Collections available at ACDigitals.com.  Matte Photo Paper by Staples and cardstock by Close To My Heart were used for the card/card pieces.  I used the red and black Silhouette Sketch Pens with the continuous feature selected in the software to make a frame for the card and inside the scalloped frame of the card.  The couple was adhered to the card using 3D Zots.  Another layer just for the umbrella was made. A button by Autumn Leaves was adhered to the umbrella using my Singer Futura, brown embroidery thread, and the appropriate button foot. The umbrella was then adhered using 3D Zots.

LOVE being Together

This Itty-Bitty Stamp from Unity reminds me of weekends with my husband when we get to snuggle in the morning a little longer and care a little less about what’s going on outside our nest. Do you know what I mean? Two love birds who share one heart without a care in the world for anything else.  The newsprint background reminds me of lying in bed on Saturday or Sunday and catching up on some reading.  Ahh! Just plain heaven!  And if it’s raining outside, sublime!

Anyone watch Portlandia? I just started watching the first season on Netflix a couple of weeks ago.  Now anytime I use a bird image, I’m reminded of that skit they did in the first season.  In the bit, Lisa and Bryce put birds on things and called it art. That’s right, they put a bird on it.  If you haven’t seen it, you should just watch that bit as it’s pretty funny and you’ll probably never use a bird on your cards and not think of that skit again.  I dare you.

Love Being Together Card Supplies

The sentiment is from the July 2013 Kit of the Month and the bird image is called Love Birds and it’s an Itty-Bitty.  Both are available at Unity Stamp Company.

The fancy frame (frame shape welded to standard-sized card to make the “shaped” card) is available from the Silhouette America Online Store.  The card/card pieces were print-and-cut using my Silhouette Cameo/Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550 with the Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm and Neapolitan Collections available at ACDigitals.com.  Matte Photo Paper by Staples and cardstock by Close To My Heart were used for the card/card pieces.  I used the black Silhouette Sketch Pen with the continuous feature selected in the software inside the frame of the card.  The frame on the card was adhered using 3D Zots.

Glossy accents was applied to the heart of the bird image.  Buttons by Autumn Leaves were adhered to the frame of the card using my Singer Futura, brown embroidery thread, and the appropriate button foot. 

Enjoy your weekend!

We’ve Got Good Chemistry Valentine

ANOTHER valentine! The above sentiment is how I feel when I use Unity’s stamped images in my projects.  I’m always excited to get my Kit of the Month and equally excited when I’m finished with my projects.  They always match the perfect images/sentiments to upcoming holidays AND everyday moments as well.  When you get a Kit of the Month, you receive it WAY before the upcoming holiday, so you have more than enough time to create with the images.  This was a super simple valentine to make and I used a minimal amount of supplies to make it. 

Supplies for We’ve Got Good Chemistry Card

Both the sentiment and stamped images are from Unity Stamp Company’s 2013 Kit of the Month (scanned into my computer and colored using Photoshop Elements, converted to png file, and printed-and-cut with my Silhouette Cameo and Hewlett Packard Photosmart B8550). The stamped image was mounted to the card using 3D Zots for dimension. The sentiment was placed inside a Silhouette ribbon shape and was printed-and-cut and adhered to the card using a Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher.

The patterned paper used for the file folder is from Basic Grey’s True Love Patterned Paper Pack 1 and is available at jessicasprague.com. 

The card base shape, ribbon shape, file folder shape (3x4 Lori Whitlock Journaling Card Folders), and notebook pattern (Tomato Sauce Notebook Paper) are by Silhouette America.  The card base was cut from Krafty Premium Cardstock by Core’dinations.  The other elements were printed-and-cut from Matte Photo Paper by Staples using my Silhouette Cameo and HP Photosmart B8550.

Life is Not Measured Chipboard Tag

It was about time for a tag I think. 

When Silhouette America had their Thanksgiving weekend sale (not sure how long it lasted), I was lucky enough to upgrade my Portrait to a Cameo. Also during that sale, I purchased a few other items to try. Their 12-x-12-inch chipboard was one of the purchases and I’m glad I got some.  The machine cuts it like butter AND it’s pretty sturdy, too.  With that said, I can cut a few tags at once from chipboard with toppers and have them on hand for when I feel like making a tag or two.  That was today!  I LOVE my tags to have a chipboard feel to them.

Life is Not Measured Chipboard Tag Supplies List

The sentiment used on the tag is from Unity Stamp Company’s November 2013 Kit of the Month.

Tim Holtz Tag & Bookplates Die by Sizzix (cut using my Silhouette Cameo from patterned paper and chipboard); Aged Mahogany, Pumice Stone, and Vintage Photo Distress Ink was applied to the edges of the tag.  Vintage Photo Distress Ink was applied to the edges of the tag topper.

Basic Grey’s True Love Patterned Paper Pack 1 (available at jessicasprague.com) was used for the backgrounds of the tag topper and tag.  These elements were printed-and-cut using my Silhouette Cameo and Matte Photo Paper from Staples.  Also used was a patterned paper from Playful Papers Set, a digital kit by Nancie Rowe Janitz (available at jessicasprague.com), in the frame for the sentiment.

The tag topper shape (decorative tab set) and frame shape for the stamped sentiment (nesting labels) are by Silhouette America. As mentioned previously, the tag base is chipboard purchased through Silhouette.

The framed sentiment was adhered to the chipboard tag using my Singer Futura’s zigzag stitch and brown embroidery thread. By sewing the side of the frame to the tag it created a hinge, so that I could tuck something behind the sentiment like a photo, a heart shape, etc. I love that feature and am saving it for another day.

Heavy duty jute from the hardware store was applied to the tag by tying a bow.