Flutter by atomicbutterfly

Valentine's Day* wrap up*

2012-02-23T20:14:00.014-07:00

No pun intended! However, I did have a lot of fun coming up with fun ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year and get everyone checked off my list! My husband said,"Isn't Valentine's Day supposed to be a romantic holiday and not so much a "friend" holiday?" to which I replied,"It is both!". I love Valentine's Day way too much not to do fun things for everyone.

It is my tradition to make chocolate dipped strawberries to deliver to friends and family on Valentine's Day and this year was no exception.I also package them the same year after year, the only difference from year to year is the tag. This year I chose to go with the doily theme as I did on my banner a few posts down. I mean, come on, Valentine's Day is the doily holiday. Every year I go to "Dollar Tree" and purchase the faux silver trays (they really are metal, though; not the plastic ones). The strawberries look a little fancier but I don't have to spend an arm and a leg in the process. I used the "Heart Prints" stamp set from PTI for the tags. Simple stamping, but I love how they turned out. I made quite a few different variations using different papers and sentiments, but I didn't have a chance to get them all photographed. In fact, forgive my photography for all of these projects.

I also whipped up a batch of yummy raspberry caramels to give to Emma's dance teacher and a few friends from church. The best thing about these caramels is that I made them pink!! They were so cute! You can't see very well from the photo, but maybe if you squint really hard at the bottom you can see one peeking through the cellophane. It is hard to see from the photo, but for the packaging, I simply used a cellophane bag with a sheet of patterned paper slipped down into the back. Then I attached a doily/label embellishment using sticky strip, tied it up with coordinating ribbon and called it good. I mean, who needs fancy packaging when there are pink caramels inside? Just kidding; you always need fancy packaging. That is my motto. Well...except if you are giving said caramels to small children who would tear said packaging apart in two seconds! LOL!

Speaking of children; Emma's dance class always does a Valentine's exchange and this year I thought I would do something fun. The girls have to have their hair pulled up for class, of course, so I decided to make some fun bows for them to wear. I have purchased a few elastic/bows like this for Emma and every time I use it in her hair I think how easy they would be to make. I chose pink and black for the theme since their dance attire is pink and black.

When you purchase them at the store, they are on a card to hang on the rack so I thought I would make my own. I used a nestabilities die for the tag and "Heart Prints" for the sentiments. I also used one of the label stamp sets from PTI for the border, but I can't think of the name right now. Sorry.

It was fun to see some of the girls wearing their new bows at dance class this week. I also made some coordinating tissue cozies. I had seen this idea with the joke last year, but I saw it after Valentine's Day so I couldn't wait to make some this year.Emma asked if I would make one for her, too, so she could put it into her backpack. I thought the fabric looked cute with the hair bows. I packaged everything up int heart shaped dollar spot baskets with some candy in the bottom. Emma was so excited to take them to dance class for all of her friends. I hope that even though Valentine's Day has passed, you can find some inspiration that you can incorporate somewhere else, or maybe save for next year. I was thrilled that I got so much done for all of the "Valentines" in my life. Thanks for fluttering by!

Lucky to count you as a friend

2012-02-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

I have been sick ever since last Wednesday. I could feel it coming on in the middle of the night and the dread set in. Moms shouldn't be able to get sick. We should get some type of waiver for the duration of motherhood; well....at least while they are little. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. Not only am I sick, but Rowan has got it as well as Rhys. So...with that being said, not only do I feel awful, but so do the babies.

My dear, sweet friend offered to bring me dinner and as much as I wanted to protest, I really needed it. She brought some super yummy chicken noodle soup, rolls and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies; just what the doctor ordered. I need to return her dishes, so I thought I would make a card to go along with it to thank her.

This is an absolute first.... but I made the card in my bed! LOL! I had to get up to gather my supplies, but for the most part I laid on my bed and glued, cut and fiddled. I think I may have found my new craft space! LOL! Can you imagine? It is never good to be thinking that way, especially when I had the new episode of "Hoarding; buried alive" playing while I was crafting. Maybe I could become a craft hoarder who only crafts in bed with her supplies piling up around her! LOL!

Anyway, I will quit rambling about nonsense and get onto the card. I had some scraps of paper left over from another project, so I decided to use them. They are all from Hobby Lobby, which is becoming the only place to buy paper around here anyway. The colors inspired me to pull out my "St. Patrick's Day" stamps, which is fitting for the season. I still have my Valentine's Day stuff up, but St. Patty's stuff will be going up soon. Most of the images are from PTI, but the circle "mar. 17" image is from a dollar set I got last year. I got a little "die-cut" happy and used my PTI dies for the focal image, the felt ric-rac and tickets. It is so nice to be able to make your own embellishments, especially when you are limited on space. The trim at the top, is just the extra piece from die-cutting the felt ric-rac. I glued it along the inside flap. It isn't going in an envelope, so I didn't mind adding the extra length to the card. If you do add things like this, just remember to grab a bigger envelope. I added a little bit of gold stickles to the shamrock to give it another touch of St. Patty's day charm and called it good. I really would have liked to have added some sewing, but I didn't think sewing in bed would be very easy! LOL! Making this card has made me want to make another St. Patrick's Day banner; surprise, surprise! I love the one I made last year, but I really like these papers, too.

Also, I still have my Valentine's Day projects to show you. I was down to the wire, but I got everything done that I wanted to get done; except for my Valentine's Day countdown calendar. Maybe next year........ Thanks for fluttering by!

Valentine Banner

2012-02-02T09:30:00.006-07:00

Last year I made this banner for Valentine's Day. I still really like it, but I wanted to make a new one so that I could put last year's in my kitchen and put the new one in my entry way. This one used more letters than most of my other banners so it hangs a little lower, but it fits perfectly. One more letter and I would have run into trouble. In fact, I shouldn't admit it, but I did run into some trouble. I use a ton of the letter "e" when I am making my banners and I had completely run out. I had to get creative and turn a c into a letter e....it is the last one on the banner. So....if you ever get in a crunch, look and see what letters you can trim, cut or glue back together to make something else! LOL!

All of the papers are "Lost and Found" and they are perfect for the feel I was going for. I used paper doilies for the medallions on the v, e and i and then decided that I needed one under every single accordion medallion as well. This banner is super thick and super heavy, but I really like how it turned out.

I stamped the crown images and punched them out using one of my Martha Stewart punches. I placed them in-between each of the rosettes on the top. The rosettes are from Prima and I love them. They are perfect! The tickets are from Tim Holtz. I die cut the ric-rac using the PTI die and black felt. I only used two pieces since the banner was starting to get very heavy and I worried it might look a little "over embellished" by the time I was done. As much as I like heavy embellishment, sometimes more is just more!

Of course I had to add a little bit of sewing. I chose to use a black thread to really make it pop. I was hoping that what ever was in my sewing machine would work, but it was light pink and I thought it would get lost. I need black thread in my machine for my next project anyway. I will share that with you soon, too. I distressed all of the edges using Walnut Stain distress ink by Tim Holtz. It is one of my favorites and while it is super dark, it worked nicely with all of the dark papers. Thanks for fluttering by! ETA* I realized that my watermark on the banner photos gives the image copyright to Papertrey Ink which is not correct.

Tea for Two, Me and You

2012-01-29T17:01:00.005-07:00

Hello! I know you all might just die of shock that I am posting. I needed a card...not just a quick card, but something a little more special. I have been doing a lot of "quick" cards; just to get by here and there, but not today. Not only that, but I needed a little "creative" therapy. For times like this, I find it is best to go to your tried and true stamps; for me it is "Tea for Two" from Papertrey Ink. I am a little rusty, too, so I needed something that I felt comfortable with. I also decided to use Jen's January SFYTT. Once I got to work, it seems like I haven't been away for so long.

This card is going to a sweet friend and I hope she likes it.

Once I got started, I realized that my color scheme was just a hair Christmasy, but maybe a little Valentinesy, too? Hopefully.

I thought the papers went well together, regardless. I used nestablities for the circle pieces, but hand-cut the tea pot, even though I own the die. I actually really enjoy cutting out that darn tea pot. Go figure! I guess it is part of the "creative" therapy I was in need of. The card is pretty straightforward, so rather than go on and on about that, I hope you don't mind me filling you in on some things that I have been up to in the last little while.

For starters, Rowan turned two! Can you believe it? We had a simple little family party for him and then took him to the local children's museum for some fun! He is so adorable! We went to Disneyland at the beginning of the month and had a lot of fun! The babies were both sooooooooo good! It was amazing! Rhys will be six months old on Thursday! I can't believe that one either. Where does the time go? He is sooooo good and so sweet, I just feel so blessed. Things get crazy with the two babies, but it is sooo much fun!!!! They actually nap at the same time in the afternoon which would give me some fabulous stamping time if I had my space all set up. Hopefully soon! I told my husband today to buy me a tuff shed and I will go set up shop in that! LOL! I hope that you are all well, too. I have some fun Valentine's Day projects that I am hoping to get done, so stay tuned. Thanks for fluttering by!

Happy Halloween!!!!!

2011-10-27T12:47:00.005-06:00

Oh my word...how are you all doing? It has been quite awhile, hasn't it? We are doing great! Rhys is growing like a weed....he is huge. I don't have any papercrafting projects to share right this second, but I did make something that you can check out here! I have actually been stamping and making cards, but they have been so last minute that I haven't had time to photograph them. They have mostly been baby cards and little girl birthday cards for the parties Emma has been going to. I did make some Halloween invites the other day for our Halloween party we are having for the kids and their friends. I thought I would share a few precious photos of Rhys that I took last week.

Welcoming our new baby boy....

2011-08-22T18:15:00.007-06:00

We welcomed Rhys Gregor Lunceford to the world on August 2nd at 4:07 A.M. Rhys is such a wonderful, sweet baby! We are all in love. He weighed 8 pounds even and measured 20 1/2 inches. He is my biggest baby so far!

We are all going through an adjustment period, especially Rowan who has been a bit "thrown off" by the whole baby thing. Rhys (pronounced Reese) fits in perfectly, yet probably wonders what kind of crazy he is living in now! LOL! I am so thrilled to not be pregnant anymore and I am feeling great! I am not sure when I will be crafting since I am still without a space. We are finally getting all of the kids situated, so once that is done, I can focus on myself. I have been selfish for so long and I guess it is time to take care of others. My wonderful shelves are now in the boys' room housing books and toys, but are really working out great. I am really missing being crafty and creative, but I know in time I will be back. Thanks for fluttering by!

Plant Kindness, Grow Love SFYTT

2011-06-17T11:02:00.008-06:00

When I said there would be a delay, I really didn't think it would be THIS long! I sincerely apologize. For those of you who read my blog regularly, know that I have given up my craft space. I am still homeless as far as a new craft space goes. It is making it VERY difficult to get to my supplies and create. It is driving me bonkers, but I know that it will be remedied in time. You will all be the first to know when it happens! LOL! In the mean time, I am trying to take care of my family, get things ready for the baby and have a fun summer!

For this month's sketch, I chose to use some Flourishes stamps which I love. I am really obsessed with geraniums this year. I have always loved them, but I made a special point to plant quite a few this year. Last year when I would take Emma to summer school, there was a house that had the most beautiful yard and as I took a closer look to see what it was about the yard that I loved, it was the multitude of bright pink geraniums that caught my eye. So....I decided to use the geranium image, of course.

The papers are from an old MME slab and the ribbon is from PTI. The focal image and slide are die-cut using Nestabilities. The image was stamped with Palette Black ink and colored using copic and prismacolor markers. Very straight forward; but I love this sketch and can see myself using it again and again!

I am watching three of my neices and nephews today, so I had better dash, but thanks for fluttering by! Don't give up on me, yet! LOL!

I hope you all get a chance to play along this month. This month's sketch would be perfect for all of the Father's Day cards we all need to make! It is simple and straight forward without a lot of fuss!

SFYTT Delay!

2011-06-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

hello! I just wanted to let you know that I will be a bit behind on getting my design using the new June SFYTT posted! Here is the sketch so you can get started, though! Have a great weekend! Thanks for fluttering by!

Teacher's Apple

2011-05-26T09:04:00.008-06:00

Tomorrow is the last day of school for my kiddos! I still don't have a "crafting space" but I needed to get the teacher's cards and gifts done regardless. My daughter has two teachers; one for the morning and one in the afternoon. On Friday's, one of them doesn't come at all, so I had to make sure I sent everything today. After all of my careful planning, my daughter told me that the other teacher wouldn't even be there for the last two days! Oh well! I told her to stick it on her desk and pray that she comes back to clean upI wanted an "Americana" theme for the cards since I had purchased the new "Apple Pie" hand soap and sanitizer from Bath and Body Works. I thought it worked nicely for a teacher. I am so proud of myself that I didn't use Olive and Red this year, like I usually do!

I used this month's SFYTT sketch and some left over Graphic 45 paper from this project. I had just enough to get the three cards done with a few scraps to spare. This month's sketch is sponsored by Your NExt Stamp and I think you still have time to take advantage of the 10 percent off sale. Check my last post for more info! I chose to use "Teacher's Apple" from PTI. It is the perfect set to have on hand when you have little ones going to school. I have used it every year since I bought it and have loved having it!

Everything is pretty straightforward, but I did use some super thin cork paper for the scallop around the focal image. It is super easy to punch and I love it. All of the buttons and ribbon are from PTI as well. I hope you get a chance to play this month; you still have a few days left.

The construction projects are taking much longer than expected. The sheetrock is all done in the bedroom, but it still needs to be taped and mudded (that doesn't sound right)painted, electrical finished, carpeted and then the fun part; moving all of my son's stuff downstairs! I can't even begin to work on the baby's room until all of that is done! This baby is coming whether we are ready or not! I am feeling great right now despite a big belly that makes it hard to bend over. We have had a ton of rain so the temperatures have stayed cool which has been a benefit for a pregnant gal! Once the heat hits, I think I will swell up like I did with Emma. Once all of the construction is done, my son is moved and the baby's room is done, I can focus on getting my space put together. Right now my crafting is on the "way" back burner. Thanks for fluttering by!

Cute as a Button SFYTT

2011-05-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it is already May! I think I say that at the beginning of every month, but seriously...where does the time go? I am happy that it is May and the flowers are blooming and the weather is warming up (at least some days here in Utah) and school is almost out. I can't believe my kids only have three more weeks! Well...since it is the first Saturday of the month, you know what that means....another great SFYTT! I really love this month's sketch and I think I will be using it often. For some reason I really like it when the sketch involves some sort of circle. This month's sketch is sponsored by Your Next Stamp. I love their sweet, fun and whimsical images. As you can see, they are offering a discount to all of the SFYTT particpants so you will definitely want to check it out.

I was in need of a baby card so I chose to use my go-to baby set from PTI, "Baby Button Bits". If you read my last post, you know that I have been in "stamping limbo" which is still the case. It took me forever to get all of the supplies to get this card done and I even simplified it. I can see why people don't stamp if they don't have a "space" to do it. I know that my situation is only temporary, but if it was going to be like this forever, I think I wouldn't stamp as much. So...for those of you crafters who don't have your own space, I feel your pain!!!!

For my card, I started with a Kraft base and used kraft for all of the mats and the focal image. The pattern paper is from My Mind's Eye and is quite old, but I love it and it worked out perfectly for the look and feel I was going for with this card.

I stamped the image using white ink and then colored the snail using a copic marker. I used my PTI die cut to make the ric-rac border and used the scraps from either side to add to the left edge of the card as well as the opening, too. Since my "supplies at hand" are limited, I opted to stretch what I already had, and I think it turned out great!

This is the sketch for May. I hope you all get a chance to play along. It's not too late to sit down and make a card for Mom! This sketch would be perfect! By the way, Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mother's out there!

You won't want to miss the other designers:!Jen Del Muro and New Guest Designer

We are proud to welcome Jen Tapler as the newest SFYTT sister!

Terri Moore ,

Susan Liles ,

Amy Sheffer

Jodi Collins

Kerry Johnson Thanks for fluttering by!

Making room for baby

2011-04-12T10:27:00.002-06:00

With the upcoming arrival of baby number 4, we need to make some room. With the bathroom/laundry room complete, it is now time to move onto phase 2 of our project which is to turn my craft space into my oldest son's bedroom. The walls will be going up on Friday, which means I need to get the space cleared out. I will be downsizing in a major way and will not be stamping at all in the upcoming weeks. I thought I would let you know so that you don't think that I have fallen off the face of the earth. I should be back in a few weeks stamping from my new space, which might be a 2 foot by 2 foot corner, but I will be stamping! LOL! At least I have some great photos of my space from Stampin' Success a few years back. Sniff Sniff...It is sad saying goodbye!

Eggstra Special Friend SFYTT*

2011-04-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's the first Saturday of the month and that means a new SFYTT! The weather has turned warm; at least for a few days, so I thought I would make a springy creation! Spring is definitely one of my favorite seasons!

This month's sketch is sponsored by Unity Stamp Company.

For my card, I started out making all of the panels and pieces using "Pretty Pastels" paper from PTI. My stamps are also from PTI.

The stamping is actually quite minimal on this design. I kept staring at my stamps hoping to find something that required some coloring, but decided on this instead. I got so used to coloring during my guest designer position with flourishes, it seemed weird not to color.

Since the stamping was so minimal, I decided to spice things up by adding some tiny rhinestones to the centers of all of the flowers around the focal image, add some sewing. I also played around with the sentiment to give the card some more visual interest.

I was wishing I had some egg shaped buttons to go along the bottom, but I didn't so I just used some coordinating PTI buttons.

As you can see, this month's sketch has a lot of fun options, especially with pattern paper or different textures. I hope you all get a chance to play along this month! You won't want to miss the other designers! !Jen Del Muro and New Guest Designer and welcoming Terri Moore Amy Rohl ( we are saying goodbye to her (sniff, sniff) Susan Liles (she is sitting this one out) {HUgs} Amy Sheffer Leigh O' Brien, (we are saying goodbye to her as well (more sniffles) Amber Hight Megan Lock Sony Christoph Jodi Collins CAROLE Kerry Johnson Thanks for fluttering by!

Seeds sneak peek

2011-03-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hello! This is my last project to share with you as March's Limelight Designer over at Flourishes! I can't believe how fast the month has flown by! My kids are off-track from school so my days are filled with swimming lessons and just plain being a Mom. I love having them home, though. We are also working on our bathroom/laundry room in the basement so things have been a little crazy with workmen going in and out. My husband has started painting which means I need to stay away since I am pregnant. It is right next to my craft area, so I don't know how much I will be sharing next week! Thanks for fluttering by!

Fancy Buttons

2011-03-21T19:34:00.006-06:00

I know that I am feeling good when I sit down and stamp just for fun and for no particular reason! I wanted to use my "Button Boutique" stamp set, so I just used the paper that was already on my desk from my last creation and got to work. I chose to use the "fancy buttons" header for my button card, so I had fun looking through my button stash for some "fancy" buttons. I really like the green one with the gold around the center. I don't own the die cut for the button card, so I just punched a hole at the top to mimic the "off the rack" look. I also found that if you pair a small hole punch with the slot punch from SU! you can also get the same look as the die cut.

I actually threaded all of the buttons onto the card, just as you would find them at the sewing store. I found it easier to do it that way rather than sit and tie thread around each button and then glueing them down. If I recieved this card, I don't know if I would have the heart to actually take all of the buttons of and use them, but I hope that whomever recieves this card will use them, if they are crafty!

In the end, I added the " cute as a button" sentiment and decided to add it to my baby stash. There are a rash of babies due in the neighborhood really soon, so it will nice to be prepared. I am working on a quilt that this particular card could actually work with. I have been working on it slowly, but surely, but mostly slowly! LOL! I was making an effort to sew one row each day, but I haven't worked on it for a few weeks now. It is on my "craft to-do list", though! I actually crossed three things off last week! Yay me! I won't tell you how many are still left, though. Oh well....Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. I had a comment from someone saying that my blog is hard to read with the current format. This isn't the first time I have heard this, so I am going to work on getting it a little bit easier to read. I have also missed adding my banners to the title, so stay tuned for a change!

Flowers feed the soul sneak peek

2011-03-20T00:00:00.001-06:00

You can check out my third post as March's Limelight Designer here! I can't believe how fast the month is flying by! I had a lot of fun with this card! Enjoy! Thanks for fluttering by!

ETA: I had a question about what paper I used; All of the papers are from the Sweet Nectar collection from K & Co. I have a 6 by 6 slab that I picked up at Michael's.

P.S. I salvaged all of the little St. Patty's day boxes for my daughter's dance class and the girls loved them. I am glad I took the time to fix them!

Pack 572 says "Thanks"

2011-03-16T19:06:00.006-06:00

I needed to make a card for the Cub Master for my son's Cub Scout pack to say thanks for all he has done. For all of you "Scouting" families, this card will probably make a little more sense. I knew that I wanted to incorporate a Bear, a Wolf, a Bobcat and a Fleur de Lis to honor the Webelos. I think that the "bobcat" image I chose to use, is really a fox! LOL! We don't have the Tiger Cub den around here, so I didn't include that. Our pack number is #572, hence the big red numbers to mimic the red patches on the uniform.

I was lucky enough to get this stamp set from SU! before it retired and I didn't realize how handy it would become. I thought that it would serve mainly for masculine birthdays and father's day, but scouting....no. I am glad it has worked so well. I have been wanting the coveted scouting set from SU!, but I have never found anyone who would part with it. So...this is a shout out to anyone who is willing to let it go! I would be willing to pay nicely for it! LOL!

I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch to get started. I was in a hurry since I still needed to bake cookies and get a little thank you for all of the den leaders as well. Like I have mentioned before, I have really come to love sketches!

On a sad note, I really messed up yesterday. Once I was finished with all of the St. Patty's day boxes for Emma's dance class, I set them at the bottom of the stairs in a basket so that I would remember to take them with us to class. My husband keeps joking that he stepped on them. Well....yesterday I was carrying Rowan down the stairs and with my ever-growing pregnant belly, I didn't see them and forgot they were there. You guessed it...I completely stepped on top of the basket, which attached to my foot and I had to walk on it the rest of the way down the stairs with the basket shattering everywhere, boxes smashing and candies going EVERYWHERE!!!!! I was sooooo upset. All of that work ruined! I am sure it was quite comical to watch had anyone other than Rowan and I been there. I was just lucky that I didn't fall risking everyone's safety! Lesson learned: Don't set things on the stairs that can either kill you or you can ruin! When Emma saw them, she said, " Oh MOM, they don't look that bad. They're just smashed and bent a bit! She is cute! I am going to see what I can salvage, however! Thanks for letting me vent and thanks for fluttering by!

Little Cutie SFYTT

2011-03-15T06:00:00.001-06:00

In honor of making it half way through my pregnancy, I decided to post this on my 20 week mark! Yay! I am not goint to let the fact that it is the "Ides of March" get in the way of my celebration! LOL!

It seems like I am always in need of a baby card! I love babies, though! Baby cards are some of my absolute favorites! You know me; I really like to make the card to match the gift. In this case, I bought an adorable Nautica outfit in khaki, navy and yellow, of course! This month's sketch was perfect for my card. I love Jen's sketches so much because I end up making cards that I normall never would have come up with. They really are the perfect springboard for creativity and thinking outside of yourself.

Since the outfit was "nautical" I chose to use the little sailboat from SU's "Nursery Necessities". It is one of my absolute favorite baby sets! I stamped the sailboat image three times; once in each color. I cut each piece out and popped it up using dimensionals.

After it was all said and done, I realized that I used a few design elements that I used on my first card using this sketch. OH well.....

I hope you have all had a chance to play along! If not, you still have time! Remember, this month's sketch is sponsored by Amber Ink and here is this month's sketch!

Sweet Violets Sneak Peek

2011-03-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's time again for another flourishes sneak peek as this month's Limelight designer! You can check out the entire project here! I had so much fun working on it! Thanks for fluttering by!

Lucky to Count you as a Friend

2011-03-12T10:51:00.005-07:00

I made ten of these little boxes/buckets for Emma's dance class. Her dance teacher also teaches Irish step dancing so she loves all things Irish. Her studio is decked out in shamrocks right now, but usually has one or two out year round. Even though Emma's class doesn't do the Irish dancing, I still thought it would be fun to take a "Lucky" treat! I have some more "St. Patty's day" projects I want to get done as well.

I kept things quite simple, but added some fun details to pull it all together. I made the standard 2-4-6-8 box and added a little handle attached with gold brads. These were really fast to make since you can get two from one piece of 8 1/2 by 11 inch cardstock. I do all of the scoring while it is still in one piece and then just slice it down the middle. On a side note, I don't think my Glorious Green ink pad or cardstock have ever seen this much attention! LOL! It is one of my most neglected colors.

The circle image was stamped using white ink onto the green cardstock and then punched out with a circle punch. I stamped the image again, this time onto white cardstock using Versamark ink. I then sprinkled heat and stick powder, heated it, and then dumped the green glitter over the top. I heat set it again to make sure the glitter stayed and then punched out the center bit using a smaller circle punch. I wanted to give it a little sparkle.

The sentiment is from the same PTI set as well as the little shamrock image next to "Lucky". I used "Limitless Labels" to make the shamrock labels to wrap around the nuggets. The finishing touch was a satin bow as well as a few gold coins on top for luck! I hope the girls like their little treat! Tomorrow I will be sharing my second project for Flourishes! Thanks for fluttering by!

All Star Coach

2011-03-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was my son's last basketball of the season so of course that means coaches gifts! My husband was the assistant coach so I really only needed one. In "Kelly" fashion, I was running a bit behind so I had to make something quick! I always do the same thing for my son's coaches. I go to the dollar store and get the large plastic popcorn bucket and fill it with microwave popcorn, candy, etc. I always include a Blockbuster gift card to continue with the theme. Well....I didn't end up by getting the gift card; apparantely Blockbuster is up for bid and so they can't sell any giftcards so they know where their assets are. ughhh!

I had to *quickly* make a card, which kindof bugged me because I wanted to be able to relax and take my time. Anyway, PTI stamps and dies to the rescue! For as much as I love banners I had to have PTI's Banner Builders stamp set and coordinating dies! I got it when it was first released and this is the first time I have used it! Shame on me!

I started off by picking the paper; I chose to use some old SU! paper, but it was perfect! The bright colors were just what I wanted. After I did that, I die cut all of the pieces and then stamped each one with a different design. The letters are from a really old PSX set that I love! They fit perfectly, all except the "H". The string image that came with the set was too small for 5 banner pieces so I just arranged them like I wanted and then used crochet thread tied in a bow and glued to each end. It worked out well. The #1 and "All Star" sentiment are from su!

P.S. I want to take this time to thank all of you who stuck by me during my many weeks of morning sickness and fatigue! I really feel like a brand new person; actually, I just feel like *me* again, which is great! I was really starting to worry whether my desire to do much of anything would ever return, but it is here... full force! Thanks again and stay posted this week for some fun St. Patty's day projects!

In the Limelight

2011-03-06T07:22:00.004-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday in my SFYTT post, I am March's Limelight designer for Flourishes! I was honored and thrilled to be asked! I can only share a sneak peek here, but you can check out my first post as the Limelight designer here. I will be posting new projects each Sunday throughout March. I am in love with their images and have had so much fun using them!

P.S. I have a few other projects to share this week including some St. Patrick's Day ideas! Thanks for fluttering by!

Birthdays are the Best SFYTT

2011-03-05T06:00:00.001-07:00

I am so glad March is here! Spring is on it's way!***FUN NEWS****Before I dive into deets about this month's sketch, I have some fun news! I am March's Limelight Designer over at Flourishes this month! You can check it out here! My first project will be shown tomorrow! Since it is the first Saturday of the month, you know what that means, a new SFYTT! I am in need of a few birthday cards, so I got to work using this month's sketch which is sponsored by Amber Ink.

Although I didn't use their images, you will definitely want to check them out. She has some really fun images!

For my card, I used PTI's "Blooming Button Bits"! This particular image is one of the main reasons I chose to buy this set, but I have never used it before! Go figure! I started the design by picking out my papers first! I chose to use some fabulous bright and cheery papers by K & Co. Once I knew what colors I would be using, I stamped the focal image using Spring Moss ink. I stamped the leaf image again, trimmed it out and adhered it using a pop-dot. I chose to use three different button colors to tie all of the papers together. Can you imagine a plant with buttons blooming all over it? I think I would plant several in my yard! LOL!

The sentiment was stamped onto a strip of paper and then added using foam squares. I decided that I needed a little bit more stamping on my card, so I used PTI's "Just the Ticket" to create a little tag to hang from the gingham bow. I stamped it directly onto a piece of pattern paper to keep it bright and cheery.

You won't want to miss the rest of the designers!Jen Del Muro and New Guest Designer
Amy Rohl
Susan Liles
Amy Sheffer
Leigh O' Brien,
Amber Hight
Megan Lock
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
CAROLE

Kerry Johnson

Thanks for fluttering by!

So sorry for your loss

2011-03-03T11:51:00.005-07:00

Yesterday at my PTA meeting, I found out that one of the board members had lost her mother this week. I have helped her with the book fair every year, so I wanted to send her a sympathy card.
I have decided that I have become addicted to sketches; partly because it gives me a challenge and a new way of looking at things, but also because it takes out all of the guess work and gets me right to the fun part! I decided to check out this week's Mojo Moday sketch and really liked it. She gave you two options; square or round. As you can see, my card is neither. This did pose a problem as I got down to placing everything. I had a hard time getting it balanced.

I chose to use some older SU! papers and stamp set. I didn't want to use my traditional sympathy sets. I wanted something nice, not too bright, but not too drab, either. I thought these papers were a nice balance. It is gray and rainy here today, so my photo is ending up looking a little gray as well. The card is much more cheerful in real life.

Rowan has just woken up from his nap, so my creative time has come to an end. I haven't even showered yet, so I better get going! I have an end of season basketball coach gift to put together for Saturday as well as this month's new SFYTT. I also have some fun news to share! Thanks for fluttering by!

Hello Friend

2011-02-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

I needed a few cards to send out before the end of the month so I made them quick, easy and used the same design on all three. It is so easy to mass produce! I knew that I wanted something bright and cheerful to welcome in spring and chase away the gray, so I chose to use Bird Watching and Bird Watching Additions. I love these sets, but haven't used them in a while.

The background was embossed using an embossing folder and my cuttlebug; a quick and easy way to get some texture and detail without much work! The blue paper is also textured. When making simple designs, things like that can make all the difference.

I knew that I wanted to add some felt flowers to the design. After I was done die-cutting each piece, I thought that it might be kindof fun to make them into hair clips, since all of the ladies who will be getting these have little girls. It seemed such a waste to make all of those pretty flowers just to have them sit on the card!

Since I needed a place to "clip" the flowers without making it too hard to get them off. I simply adhered the "Hello Friend" strip with two glue dots on each side. It made a perfect place to clip the flower.

Thanks for fluttering by!

Celebrate Today and Everyday SFYTT

2011-02-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

If February flew by as fast for you as it did for me, then you might not have gotten a chance to play along with this month's SFYTT! It's not too late...you still have the entire weekend to play along! Remember there are always prizes involved, so you may want to head over to her blog to find out all of the deets! Jen always does an amazing job and this month is no exception! I am in love with this sketch. Remember, this month's sketch is sponsored by Anita BeSTampin!

I decided to use the same paper as I did for my "Lucky" banner in my previous post. I added in some of the backside of one of the sheets to really change the entire look! The pop of burgundy really made a difference and made the card look really "homespun", which is the direction I decided to head in as I finished it off.

I started off by using PTI's Butterfly Dreams for the focal image and Autumn Abundance for the sentiment. I really liked the shape of the flowers in the background paper and I knew I had a punch with a similar shape, so I layered the flowers along the bottom. I normally wouldn't make black butterflies, but they were just what this card needed.

The circular piece the butterflies are on is a nestabilites die that I picked up the other day when I was "St. Patty's day" shopping. I just couldn't resist since I got $10 off! When it was all said and done, this card ended up having quite a "Debbie-Mummish" look to it, which I really like. She has been a favorite for years!

Remember, it is not too late to play along! Here is this month's sketch! Take some time
out for yourself and make a card for someone you love! Thanks for fluttering by!