Three Little Cupcakes.

I was thinking these would be a great Christmas gift for someone.  I mean who wouldn't love to get a box full of cupcake notecards.  These were so simple too.  I just used cut 3x3 notecards and added Basic Grey's Nook and Panty paper collection.  The cupcakes are just cut out of one of the sheets of paper.  The yellow ribbon is from my ribbon collection that I am selling on etsy right now. 

Also, sorry for the silence around here.  I was sooo busy last week AND was soooo not feeling good.  But everything is back to normal now.  Thanks for your patience and I hope everyone had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN. 

Goodie Bag Giveaway

A Cherry On Top is giving away a free Halloween goodie bag with any oder of $25 or more, plus 25% of Halloween products.  Just wanted to pass along the good news.  Click here to start shopping. 

Merry & Bright Embossing.

Another non-traditional Christmas card.  I used American Crafts embossing powder in Leaf over this chocolate cardstock from Bazzill.  The rest of the supplies are from Stampin Up!  The Merry and Bright is from one of their Christmas Rub ons and the ribbon is Old Olive and the cardstock is Cream Naturals.  I think my embossing ink was getting a little dry because the powder just didn't stick all that well.  I have such a love/hate relationship with embossing.  I love the look but I hate that you can never get it looking perfect.  But I guess that just gives it character right?

Really simple card using embellishments that I found at Target.  They are from the Marcella K. line I think by K. & Co.  They are just so pretty and really dimensional.  Other supplies used are ribbon from Stampin Up!, and paper from K. & Co. Black and Ivory Fusion. 

Friday's Designer Tip

Making your own buttons. 

This is so simple and the result is sooo cute. 

First you need to get yourself some clear buttons. 

I used buttons from Stampin Up! here but I know 7 Gypsies also makes these in the same round and square design.  You are also going to need a glue that will dry clear.  I like this glue for three reasons.  1. It dries quickly 2. It dries clear 3. I like the two applicators.  It has a fine tip and a broad tip.  The broad tip allows you to get a really thin coat and that is just what you want here.  The thinner the better.

Pick out some cute paper and place button down. For all of these buttons I used K. & Co.'s Black and Ivory Fusion. 

Now wait for this to dry (or at least mostly dry)

Trim off the extra

And if you didn't wait for it to completely dry before you need to now.  I start by poking a hole from the front with a pin.  Then I recommend flipping the button over and putting the pin back through those holes and wiggling the pin around until you have holes big enough for ribbon to go thru. 

Here they are done.  They look equally as cute without the ribbon. 

Hope you enjoyed.  And here is a card I made using one of these buttons, it was for a tent topper challenge on Scrapbook.com

I used paper from Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses collection pack, Stampin Up! stamp set, ribbon, and clear button.  For the trees I used Versa Magic Chalk ink (becuase these were rubber stamps that ink works well here) and then added stickles silver glitter and perfect pearls in silver on top. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Home Sweet Home

I thought this would be a great card to give to someone who just bought there first home or just moved.

I used October Afternoon's Weathervane collection pack.  They have great packs because besides all the paper you get die cut and sheets of stickers.  The Home Sweet Home is a sticker from the kit.  The only things here that aren't October Afternoon are the ribbon and button.  Those are from Stampin Up!  The button is actually cordury and is adorable. You can use what ever circle cutter is easiest for you here I used the Coluzzle. 

Here is a funny story about circle cutters.  I used the EK Sucess circle cutter for the first time about a month ago and in an earlier post I mentioned that I hurt my wrist using it and had to wear a brace for a while.  Well, it never fully healed and the pain is getting worse and worse and I actually have an appointment today with an Orthrapedic Dr. to take a look at it.  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?  All because of a darn circle cutter.  The things we do for papercrafting. 

Baby Love.

Just a really simple card perfect for a baby shower or birth gift.  I love this new (well, new to me because I just bought it but it has been out for awhile) Fiskars scallop heart punch (its really called my funny valentine.)  I used October Afternoon's Ducks In A Row paper, Tim Holtz's Trinket Pins, and Stampin Up! taffeta ribbon.  I also rubbed Paper Trey Ink's Vintage Cream pigment ink on the edges and then rounded the corners with the Corner Chomper. 

Uh Oh...

All I did was run downstairs for a minute and this is what happened.  When he starts walking I am in trouble.

Christmas Journal Progress...Done.

\

I put a journaling card on the inside cover.  This journal piece is from Art Warehouse.

Nothing new here...

Or here...

I found this cute little envelope from Making Memories Christmas Vintage Findings and put this Santa's List journaling sheet inside of it.  Santa's List is from Making Memories Mistletoe jouraling pad.

I also put this other journaling cards in the enevelope as well.  They  are from Elle's Studio.  I thought the cookies and milk one would be a good place to write all the cookies we bake this year. 

This is the other side of the envelope.  I also added a Tim Holtz's Philosophy Tag (this one says believe)  to the corner of the opposite page.

I added another page which will be the last page in this album.  The journal piece if from Elle's Studio and the metal number tags are from 7 Gypsies.  The paper is Bo Bunny and SEI Christmas Mint. 

This is the otherside of that page.  I am not sure if you can read it but the Journal tag read 'Santa Was Here'.  I envision a picture of all the presents unwrapped and a picture of the huge mess that happens here. 

So thats it.  It is done for now.  I will post this journal after the holidays are over and this book is filled with memories. 

Friday's Designer Tip

So this is just going to be a really quick tip to fix a problem that I run into very often. 

I am going to show you a really quick fix for when your cutting blade was dull and frayed your paper.  Sometimes you don't have another blade and sometimes you just don't want to cut another piece of paper, so here is what I do.

Well, actually first here is a picture of the problem.

The solution to this is simple and you have a couple of options.  1. Sandpaper 2. Nail file 3. Basic Grey's Presicion Filing Set.  I used the 3rd option here but really and of these work.

It takes a few seconds and fixes a big problem.  Here is a picture from the side of the paper after I sanded the edges down and you can see how clean the edge is now. 

Hope that helps. I will leave you with a card...
Just recently I posted that I love traditional Christmas designs.  Well, I must be going crazy because I just made this card and it is about as untraditional as it could get.  Oh Well, I still like though.

The supplies I used here are Kraft paper, Thickers from American Crafts, the little elf is from Die Cuts With a View. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Zing Embossing Powder A+

I have really wanted to try out American Crafts new embossing powder called Zing.  The results were surprising, this powder is awsome.  I have used glittery embossing powder before and its tends to be really scratchy and more glitter than the color and I never was a fan of it.  This stuff though is like the perfect ratio of color to glitter.  Its just great.  I will be trying out more of these colors.  You can get this embossing powder which is called Silver Glitter here.

Here is an up close view of the embossing.  The other supplies that I used were circle tag from Little Yellow Bicycle, border stickers from Reminisce, ribbon from Stampin Up!, and Ho Ho Ho stamp is from Hampton Art which I found at Archiver's but I don't see it online anywhere.  I also rounded the corners with my fav. tool the Corner Chomper. 

Noel.

OK, so this is definately a card that doesn't photograph well.  It is sooo much prettier in real life.  But hopefully you will get the drift.  I used Hero Arts Acetate Cards (I have really been in a acetate mood lately) and put this spectacular paper by Reminisce inside.  Its one of the prettiest paper I have ever seen.  Then on the outside of the acetate I used Little Yellow Bicycle's 25 Days Of Christmas Favorite Things Clear Stickers.    The ribbon is my own which you can purchase soon from my Etsy shop (I will be added a Holiday collection shortly), and the button is from Jenni Bowlin. 

Just trying to give you a better view of this paper, its just beautiful. 

Goodies...

I just recieved this in the mail today (along with maybe one or two other things :)  It is just sooo cute I had to share it. 

Its from Maya Road and it is their Canvas Pocket Binder Book. It is a chipboard book with the cover in canvas and then it has to canvas envelopes with a snap closure and then plain chipboard pages.  I just love it.  I am not sure what I am going to do with it yet.  Possibly thinking of making a 1st Birthday book for my son Ethan (who turns 1 in 3 weeks).   Its actually available on Two Peas In a Bucket right (don't know how long as new exciting stuff sells out quick, so get one now if you like it.)  Oh by the way its ONLY $8!

A Christmas Planner

Yes, its that time and I am an early shopper.  I like to be done before December even starts.  I can't stand how crowded everything gets in December. I also do a lot of my shopping online so its important for me to keep lists of everthing that I ordered.  Its easy to forget what you bought online. 

 So its time for me to start planning and getting organized. 

Every year I buy a Christmas Planner to make gift and card lists, write menus, and keep decorating ideas.  This year I decided to make my own.  I made the actual book out of Tim Holtz's Grungeboard.  I like that it is flexible and there for more durable than regular chipboard.  I rounded the corners with the We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper (a perfect example of why that tool is a must have on my list) and decorated the whole book with Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses Paper Kit. The ribbon and the silver cord are both from Stampin Up!

The epoxy present stickers are from SEI and the glitter letter stickers are from Making Memories.

I used Making Memories Slice Ledger Paper to create perfect pages to keep lists on. 

These chipboard Letters are from Basic Grey and the little candies and ribbons are also from Basic Grey but from there Eskimo Kisses Rub ons.

Here is another picture of the Slice Ledger Paper. 

Ribbon

I have started an ribbon Etsy store.  I have been on the lookout for high quality grosgrain and satin ribbons and I have not been able to find what I was looking for.  Some specialty stores sell it by the yard (a pain) and bigger discount stores sell spools but usually they aren't as good of quality. So, I thought I would start selling the kind of ribbon  I have been looking for because maybe you have been on the same search. 

Please check out my Etsy store.  And there will be more to come. 
 http://www.kristenspyker.etsy.com/