Someone VERY special had a birthday on the 28th!!!!!

In 2009, I served on the Pazzles Design Team and through that association I gained a very special friend named Sue Reynolds and even though we've never met face to face, I feel like I've known her forever!  So, needless to say, the card I made for her birthday had to be as special as she is!  By the way, some of you may know her as "HotPaws"...........she is the creator and owner of the "HotPaws Pen Tools" that work with  a number of the digital cutters...like the Silhouette Cameo, Silhouette SD, CraftRobo, Wishblade, Pazzles Inspiration, KNK Zing, Black Cat Cougar, Cricut and BossKut Gazelle! Here is a photo showing her Pen Tool and some of the many different types of pens that you can use with it.....

such as, from left to right:  Spica, Martha Stewart Marker, Signo, Zig Millennium, Sharpie Ultra Fine Point, Stampin' Up Marker, Gelly Roll and a Pentel "Slicci".  The "Slicci" is very "skinny", so when I use it, I use a "pencil grip" around it to keep it in place.  As a matter of fact, I just got through using the "Slicci" on this card!  If any of you are interested in the "HotPaws Pen Tools", you can find the information you need here!  I highly recommend it and Sue's customer service is the best!  And no, I'm not prejudiced or biased............I'm just speaking the facts!

Now, on to the card.  Here is a photo of the front of the card, which measures 5 1/4" by 5 1/4" square.

There are a few things that I would like to point out about the card front.  First off, the "Border Frame" was designed by me using a Silhouette America "Border" file and I used the "HotPaws Pen Tool" with a Pentel "Slicci" pen to make it and the gorgeous "Medallion" (which you will also see on the "Inside View" of the card) and "Label" were designed by another close friend of mine, Teri Frank......isn't it lovely?  I used different sizes of a Silhouette America "6-Petal" flower file to make the flowers and the "Geometric Background" is also a Silhouette America file.  Everything was cut using my new Silhouette "Cameo" which I just love!

Because this card was going to be mailed, I decided it would be best for me to design a "card box" for it.  I did this design in my Pazzles Inspiration Studio Pro software and it was cut using my Pazzles Inspiration digital cutter except for the "Geometrical Background" which was cut using my Cameo.  I used another one of Teri's "medallions" on the front of the box...just love it!

Here is a photo of the card in the box I designed.

For the inside of the cards I decided to use another one of the frames made using the "HotPaws Pen Tool" and the "Slicci" pen.  The text was printed on vellum with my Canon Pixma and then I covered it with clear embossing powder which I heat set.  Right beneath the vellum is another of the "Geometric Background" digital die cuts.  I also used two more of Teri's "medallions" inside of the card.

And last, but not least, is the back of the card, where I used another one of Teri's labels!

By the way, Sue loved her birthday card and I loved making it for her!  Thanks for stopping by and I would love it if you would leave your comments here at my blog!!!

Finished Card Size:  Lg. Square (5 1/4"x5 1/4")

Supplies


Papers:  Bazzill "French Vanilla", The Paper Company "Ivory Paisley on White", Strathmore "Translucent Vellum"
Ink:  Tsukineko "VersaMark Dazzle", Tim Holtz "Antique Linen" Distress Ink
Tools:  Silhouette "Cameo", Pazzles "Inspiration", Ranger "Heat It"
Accessories:  The Paper Studio "White Half Pearls" and "Faux Pearls" (flower centers), Pentel Silver "Slicci" Pen, Martha Stewart "Rose Leaf" and "Branch" Punches, Stamp-n-Stuff "White Pearls Translucent" and "Detail Clear Transparent" EB Powders, JEJE "Peel-off Stickers" (silver trim on box lid), Scor-Pal, Scor-Tape, HotPaws "Pen Tool" for Silhouette "Cameo"

Guess who's going to be 80 on Wednesday???

Why, it's my brother-in-law John and we had a surprise birthday get together for him this afternoon!  For his card, I decided to use a different card format and I'm not sure what it is called........but here it is!

View 1

View 2

Close-up view of my "Gone Fishing" print and cut image!

The little "Gone Fishing" image is one that I found online and turned it into an image that you first print and then you cut with a digital cutter....it's only a little over an 1 1/4 wide!  I used my Silhouette Cameo which has an optical eye, so it makes "print and cut" VERY easy!!!  I used my Pazzles Inspiration Studio Pro software to design the "Happy 80th Birthday John" and then used my Pazzles Inspiration Cutter to do all of the cutting with the exception of the "Gone Fishing"  print and cut sign.  I also have to confess that I did something that I rarely do...............I used some store bought birthday stickers that I had on hand!!!

Thanks for stopping by and please come back soon!
Finished Card Size:  A7 (5"x7")

Supplies

Paper:  Bazzill (green), Coredinations (yellow), Wild Asparagus (patterned)

Tools:  Silhouette "Cameo", Pazzles "Inspirations Creative Cutter"

Accessories:  Scor-Pal, "Party Embellishments" Keepsake Essentials 3-D Die Cuts, Michaels "Silver" Rhinestone Stickers 

Happy Birthday to my Darling!!!

My darling husband’s birthday was last week and this is the card I made for him as he is an avid golfer!  I’m afraid that I totally cased Valita’s card here!  I thought her design was so dang cute!!!  I did not use punches, instead I designed cutting files to be used with my Pazzles Inspiration and my Craft Robo and I used black brads with “white shoe laces” as well as a Silhouette cutting file for the golf club as well as the golf cart on the inside of the card.  I also do not have that sentiment stamp, so I used a Stampin' Up "Black " marker with Sue Reynold's Pen Tool  in my Pazzles Inspiration to do it.

Here is a close-up as well as a view of the inside......where I mentioned that he is "so dang old"...LOL

He loved his card and had a really wonderful birthday.  I bought him a new GPS Range Finder to aid his golf game.  His sister, Merrylene, took us out to the Alhambra dinner theater on Friday night (August 26th) to see "Dirty Rotten Scroundrels" and we had a really lovely evening!  I fixed him a steak dinner on Saturday night (his actual birthday) and Sunday (the day after his birthday) his children (my step children) had us over for dinner...so he had a very busy weekend celebrating his birthday!

Thanks for stopping by and I would love for you to leave me a comment here and hurry back!

Finished Card Size:  A2 (5.5"x4.25")

Supplies

Paper:  Bazzill (Card Base, Gray Layer, Grass, White), Darice Paper Crafter (Red on Shoes, Green Layer ), Wausau Metallic Cardstock (Golf Club), Best Occasions Metallic Paper Pack (Golf Cart on inside), "Black" Recollections
Ink:  Tim Holtz Distress "Black Soot", Color Box "Wild Hare"
Tools:  Craft Robo, Pazzles "Inspiration Creative Cutter", Sizzix "Big Shot"
Accessories:  Black Mini Brads

It's an Elmo birthday!!!!

I designed and created this card for my friend's son, Jared!!!

Here are some close-ups of "Elmo", the card inside and the label I made for the back of the card:

One thing that I used for this card is my take on an "Action Wobble"!  I made mine using some fun foam circles and some beading wire.  Here is a video of Elmo dancing:

I designed and cut  the little red t-shirt for Elmo and covered it with fluff and cut the letter "H" (for Huskers...Nebraska, that is!), all using my Craft Robo and my Pazzles Inspiration Studio Pro software.  I cut all of the panels for the card using my Pazzles Inspiration.  I decided to use "googly eyes" on the "Elmo" paper piecing.  A another really good friend of mine gifted me with the Tim Holtz Sizzix "Bricked and Woodgrain" embossing folders and this is the first time I've used them....love them!  Thanks Sue!  I also designed the "Jared You Rock!" using my PI Studio Pro software,  and the "Cooper Black".....the "Happy Birthday" is a Silhouette Studio file and both were cut using my Craft Robo.

Thanks for stopping by to visit!  I've been very busy with company and a camping trip this Summer, but now I'm hoping to get back to creating craft projects, so please come back!!!

Finished Card Size:  5" x 7"

Supplies


Paper:  Bazzill, Recollections Black (card base), Darice Paper Crafter (red & orange)
Ink:  Tsukineko "VersaMark Watermark"
Tools:  Craft Robo, Pazzles Inspiration Creative Cutter, Sizzix "Big Shot"
Accessories:  "Rockstar Red" Sparkly Fluff, "Black Diamond" Stickles, Sizzix "Bricked & Woodgrain" embossing folders, Googly Eyes, "White" Gelly Roll Pen

Here it is, my "poodleliscious" birthday card!!!!!

My good friend Sue (better known in the crafting world as "HotPaws") celebrated her birthday last week and just happened to be at CHA, so she did not receive my birthday card until she got back home yesterday.  That is why I'm am just now getting this posted to my blog.  Sue is a dog lover, particularly poodles.........she has an adorable one named "Kiki", thus I decided to use a poodle on her card.  I have an Imaginisce "Poodle" stamp, but I wanted the poodle to be a paper piecing, plus a larger size so I used that stamp as my inspiration to design a poodle paper piecing using my Pazzles "Inspiration Creative Cutter" Pro software.  I used some "Sparkly Fluff" on the "poofy" parts of the poodle, in fact, it was part of a gift from Sue last year, and I loved how it turned out!  I used this card, by Cheryl, better known as "cher2008" at Splitcoast Stampers) for my inspiration to make this "funky fold card".  I LOVE her card!!!  At any rate, here is my version for Sue's birthday:

All of the decorative borders were done using my Pen Tool and a PaperMate EraserMate pen with my Pazzles Inspiration.  The ink stays wet, so you are able to add embossing powder and heat set.

Here is a close-up of the adorable poodle:

I used the same embossed  borders for the inside of the card and designed a frame for the sentiment which was done using Microsoft Word and when I printed it on my Canon Inkjet I used a high resolution setting so that I could emboss the text using some clear embossing powder and heat set it.  You can see the inside here:

This card was so much fun to make and Sue loved it!!!  Thanks for stopping by to check it out!

Supplies


Paper:  Bazzill and DCWV "Luxury Stack"
Ink:  Memento "Tuxedo Black"
Stamps: Inkadinkado "Spring Blossoms Clear Stamp Set"
Embossing Powder:  Stamp-n-Stuff "Detail Clear Transparent"
Tools:  Pazzles "Inspiration Creative Cutter"
Accessories"  Recollections "Dimensional Stickers", Craft Lounge "Eyeliner Black Sparkly Fluff", Want 2 Scrap "Black Pearl Stickers", Offray Ribbon, Swarvoski "Chrystals", Martha Stewart "Classic Butterfly" Punch, "Crystal" and "Black Diamond" Stickles, PaperMate "EraserMate" Pen

Hey y'all, looks like I'm casing Elly again!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just love her creations!  You can see the one I've cased here.  My sister-in-law's (Lillian) birthday is coming up February 25th and I decided this card would be the perfect one for her.  She is my husband's baby sister and we have a really great relationship!  

Here is the front view of my version of Elly's card....you will notice that I did not use a sentiment on the card front because I think it would detract from the beauty of Elly's design (please click on the photo to see an enlargement with all of the tiny details):

Here is a closeup of the centerpiece of the card front:

While check this out......my new way of adding antennas to butterflies.  The butterfly punch that I used is small so I used tiny pieces of beading wire with some liquid pearls at the tips and let them dry on my craft mat!  What do ya think?  Another thing I want to point out is that I made an outline mat for the small Spellbinders "Fleur De Lis" die that I used for the centerpiece.  The leaves and flowers were cut using my Pazzles "Inspiration Creative Cutter".  The leaves were a free SVG download from MTCSCAL e-files.  If you have a digital cutting machine and have never visited his site, you should...........it's wonderful!

Thanks for stopping and please be sure to visit Elly's blog.... I promise she will inspire you to make something really beautiful!!!  I believe I'm one of her #1 fans.

After Wednesday, I will be posting another card that I made this past week for a dear friend's birthday.  I can't post it now because she does check out my blog occasionally.  At any rate, please stop by later in the week to check it out...........I did something really different on it!

Supplies


Paper:  K&Co. "Ancestry Mat Pad", DCWV "The Luxury Stack" (flowers) and Bazzill
Tools:  Pazzles "Inspiration Creative Cutter", Quicutz "Revolution"
Ink:  Tim Holtz "Old Paper" Distress Ink
Accessories:  Martha Stewart "Punch Around the Page Swirling Lace" and "Monarch Butterfly" punch, Scor-Buddy, Spellbinders "Fleur De Lis" Pendant, Recollections "Pearl Stickers", Making Memories "Deco Metal Sticker" (lg. flower center)

Wonderful Gift Box!!!!!!

I found the idea for this gift box here and if you check out her entire blog, Elly does some absolutely beautiful work!!!  I set about making a cutting file for this project so that my Pazzles Inspiration Creative Cutter would do all of the cutting for me, which is always nice!  The only thing that was not done using my PI was the Spellbinders Labels Two and the Martha Stewart "Eyelet Lace" punched border.  The "dahlia" flower is from a template I purchased from "Fred She Said" (you can find it here) and I even set it up for my PI to cut all of them out for me!  Something else that I want to point out is that I've used some silk wallcovering samples from Lowe's in the making of this box and............I LOVE it!!!

Here is a photo of the top of the box:

Here is a photo of the box opened up.....as an extra security I used some brads to attach the box tray to the card section:

And last but not least, here is a close-up photo of the flower I made:

I used this gift box to hold a Christmas gift.  Thanks Elly for the marvelous idea!!!

Supplies


Paper:  Bazzill "Mystique", Strathmore "Parchment" and "Silk Encyclopedia (silk wallcovering samples from Lowe's)
Ink:  Tim Holtz "Old Paper" Distress Ink
Tools:  Pazzles "Inspiration Creative Cutter" and Provo Craft "Cuttlebug"
Accessories:  Spellbinders "Lables Two", Spare Parts "Brads"

Turkey Centerpiece!!!

Isn't this little turkey the most adorable thing you've seen in ages?!!!!  As you all know I have, and love, a Pazzles "Inspiration Creative Cutter" and that's what I used to make this project.  Klo Oxford has free Pazzles classes live and online on Sunday evening and Tuesday afternoons and this past Sunday this was what she covered in our class.  If you are a member of the Pazzles Craft Room this project is a FREE download.  At her class she got permission from Pazzles to give all of us that attended the class all the files for this project free, rather we were a member or not!

This year we will be having Thanksgiving dinner at our middle granddaughter's (she's almost 26) house and I made this to use as the centerpiece as there will be a number of young children there and I know they will enjoy it!  I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!!!

Supplies


Paper:  Bazzill and Core'dinations
Ink:  Color Box Fluid Chalk "Chestnut Roan"
Tools:  Pazzles "Inspiration Creative Cutter"
Accessories:  Crystal Lacquer

Just one more tissue box cover..........................

and this time I made one for me!!!  For those of you that would like to make some of these, you can find a written tutorial as well as a wonderful video here!

Here is a view of the top of the cover:

And here is a view of two of the sides:

And last but not least the other two sides:

I do believe this is all of the tissue box covers that I will be making for a while!LOL Thanks so much for stopping by to have a look.........and hurry back!!!  Hopefully I will have a new card design soon!

Supplies


Paper:  Bazzill and Bazzill Bling
Ink:  Tim Holtz "Old Paper" Distress Ink and Tsukineko Brilliance "Platinum Planet"
Tools:  Pazzles "Inspiration Creative Cutter", Provo Craft "Cuttlebug", Sizzix "Big Shot"
Accessories:  Provo Craft Cuttlebug "Textile" Embossing Folder and Spellbinders "Beaded Ovals", Shapeabilities "Fancy Tags" and "Symbology, Shapabilities Pendants "Fleur De Lis" and Nestabilities "Long Rectangles and Long Scalloped  Rectangles SM"

Hey there.....check out my nifty toolbox!!!!!

Hello everyone!!! I finally got some time for crafting this week. Unfortunately, we've had a lot going on with our family. We found out on August 12th that my husband's middle child (Janice is 46) has lung cancer. She is now taking chemo once a week and radiation everyday during the week with the weekends off. Please be sure and keep Janice in your prayers! Also during this time my youngest son (Chad..age 36) had a really bad intestinal infection and lost a lot weight. He had cancer (Wilms Tumor) when he was 3 1/2 years old............so this really scared me. He is better now...thank God!

This past Sunday, I attended one of Klo Oxford's online classes for the Pazzles Inspiration Creative Cutter (last year I served on their design team) and she presented a toolbox template designed by Wendy @ Poppy Hill Designs (you can find her here). Wendy was kind enough to give those of us that attended the class the cutter files for it...thanks Wendy! Here is what I came up with....my craft room is mostly black, white and grey:

And here is a photo of inside. I added some strips of self adhesive magnetic tape to add weight and stability. For the handle on top, I used another one of the Spellbinders "Fancy Tags". Thanks for looking.....I just love my little toolbox!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies

Paper: DCWV "the Dressed Up stack"

Tools: Pazzles Inspiration Creative Cutter, Big Shot

Accessories: Spellbinders Shapabilities "Fancy Tags"

I know, I've been scarce lately....................

and the only excuse that I have is that I've been staying totally busy spending a lot of time with my DH. We're both retired and love to play cards and we also recently purchased a Wii and we enjoy the bowling and playing golf. I bought the Wii Fit too, but I've not been using it like I should. In the past few years I've spent lots of time in my craft room and very little with my husband......I need to hit a happy medium!!!LOL Note: Ok, it's several days later (today is actually July 13th) and Teri has received her card and it's OK for me to post this now!LOL

This is a birthday card that I just completed for one of my wonderful cyber friends and even though I'm posting this now, I will not be able to show it here on my blog until she receives it! I totally fell in love with and cased this card that I saw at Splitcoast Stampers recently. I used the same Anna Griffin DP and the same Martha Stewart border punch, but changed the ribbon treatment and stamps.


I custom designed and cut the envelope for it using my Pazzles Inspiration software and cutting machine and included a liner using the same Anna Griffin DP. One thing I do want to add here is that if you haven't tried "Scor-Tape", you don't know what you're missing....that stuff is wonderful!!!!

Finished Card Size: 5 1/2"x5 1/2"
Papers: Anna Griffin, Bazzill and Gina K. "Pure Luxury"
Stamps: Studio G
Ink: Tsukineko Memento "Rich Cocoa"
Tools: Pazzles Inspiration Creative Cutter" and Bow Easy
Accessories: want2scrap "Say it with Pearls", Martha Stewart "Doily Lace" Border Punch, May Arts "100% Silk Ribbon, Scor-Tape

50th Wedding Anniversary Card..............

Just recently my sister-in-law (the one that lost her husband and almost her own life in a horrible auto accident last year) asked me if I would make a 50th anniversary card for some dear friends of hers and of course I said that I would be happy to! The wife used to be a client of mine and is a friend also. I got to thinking of the Splitcoast Featured Stamper Challenge for the week of May 15th when Cathleen (aka/ctorina) was the featured stamper and back in April she had made a card that I thought was absolutely stunning...but then I think all of her work is stunning!!! You can see the card I'm referring to here and I decided to use it for my inspiration. When you case a card of a "featured stamper" you are to change at least 2 or more things on it and I changed a lot more than 2 and one of the ones that I changed was the "orientation". Here is a photo of the front of the card that I made:

And here is a photo of the back of the card I made:

Here is a close-up of the flower that I made using a cutting file designed and sold by Laurne Meader (here is a link to her blog where she has a wonderful video showing how to create them and here is a link to her online store where you can purchase the cutting file and it's only $2.50 (so worth it!). She has a lot more really nice cutting files!!!)

Here is a photo of the inside top of the card where I included the photo that was on their invitation to make this card even more of a keepsake!

And here is a photo of the verse that I used on the inside bottom of the card:

I guess that you can tell that this card will not fit into a regular A7 envelope...so I decided to design an "A7 Card Box" that I can cut using my Pazzles Inspiration Creative Cutter! Here is a photo of the front of the box I designed:

And here is a photo of a side view of the box:

Finished Card Size: A7/5"x7"
Supplies

Papers: Neenah, Recollections (black), Black Suede Gold Mirror Cardstock and "Sparkling Papers" by WorldWin
Tools: Pazzles Inspiration Creative Cutter, QuicKutz Revolution, Provo Craft Cuttlebug
Accessories: Spellbinders (LG Classic Ovals, LG Classic Ovals Scalloped, SM Standard Circles and Labels Two), Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page "Double Loops" (border for box sides) and "Floral Vine" & "Garden Trellis" Deep Edge Punches, Peel-Off Stickers, Want2scrap "Black Half Pears", Mark Richards "Gold Half Pearls", "Gold" Stickles