I made cards!

Whaaaaat?  I know, it seems like forever.  But suddenly, we had gift cards to go to our nephews (one for his birthday, the other as a Christmas present) and I was like "I need cards!"

The first card, I made for our older nephew's birthday in January.  We'll be seeing them at Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd pass it along to his mom to take home with her, taking the usps out of the equation.  He's into Monsters Inc right now, so I used these freebies from SVG Cutting Files.  The paper is all from my scraps file, believe it or not!  Way to use up those scraps of paper!  And the sentiment is from an old Pink by Design stamp set called Guess Who?  I'll be entering my Monsters, Inc card into the Simon Says Stamp, Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes.

The second card is for our younger nephew, who is too young to appreciate toys for presents (4 months!) and whose parents said that he already had everything he ever needed.  We figured a gift card for Christmas would help them out with anything they might need to buy him.  For his card I pulled out the Cricut and used Create a Critter 2.  Again, all of my paper was from the scraps file.  I used a sentiment from Jaded Blossom's Puppy Love stamp set.

Boxer birthday card

Is it Thursday already?  This week seems to be flying by (not that I'm complaining!)  I really like the card I have to share today, so let's get to it.

Since the end of the year is looming and I'm trying to make a real effort to only make cards I'm really going to use, I decided to start using some of the challenges going on to get a head start on next year's family birthdays.  First up in January is the oldest of my husband's sisters, who has a boxer-bulldog mix that is her baby.  When I saw this file from SVG Cutting Files, I knew she would love it, so I bought it and I've been saving it for her birthday card. Luckily, none of my family members follow my blog, so I can go ahead and share it here and she'll still be surprised come January.

The papers are from a MME 6x6 pad that I picked up on sale at Michaels one time.  I like using pads, because you know your colors are going to coordinate.  I stamped the sentiment from Jaded Blossom's Puppy Love stamp set.  I also used that set for the inside sentiment (it says "in dog years, you're still a pup.")

So there it is.  One 2015 family birthday card down...8 million to go.  ;)

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
SVG Cutting Files- Birthday card
Simon Says Stamp, Wednesday Challenge- Anything Goes

Fortune Cookie

Here a little fact you may not know about me: I'm a comic book movie nerd.  You'll never see me at a romantic comedy, but you better believe I'll be sitting all the way through the credits for even the tiniest morsel of goodness at the end of a comic book movie.  So, when I saw on Facebook that SVG Cutting Files was giving away a set of Rocket and Groot freebies just for entering this month's Fall Colors challenge, well...I just entered faster.  Because let's be honest, I love them and I just about always enter their monthly challenges anyway.

Anyway, here's my card for this month's challenge.  In the past, I've made fall themed cards and although I like them, I never send them because "fall" just doesn't seem like a card sending occasion.  So I used my fall colors (all from my scraps file, just the way I like it) to go along with a fortune cookie.  I popped him up on glue dots, which is hard to tell on the photo.

I used the second half of a sentiment from Pink by Design that I thought sounded kind of like a fortune to stamp on the paper.  I thought it might be a kind of neat non-traditional card for an engagement or when someone announces they're having a baby or something.

Happy birthday!

It's summer time, which means it's time for me to start working on replenishing my birthday card supply while we have a few months without birthdays.

Although I haven't been posting a ton, I've actually been spending a fair amount of time crafting, given how busy work has been.  One thing I've been doing is playing around with techniques and artsy things, since it doesn't really have to look perfect and usually it can be done in short spurts.  I've been buying some stencils, and playing around with using them with various things.  For this card, I used the 6x6 Swiss Dot stencil from Crafter's Workshop.  I also have the 12x12, in case I ever wanted bigger dots.  :)

I used my Distress Inks to make the background pattern- Peeled Paint, Peacock Feathers, Broken China, and Seedless Preserves.  Then I cut the balloon animal on my Cameo from a file I bought from SVG Cutting Files. For a little dimension, I used my Versapen on some of the back layers of the balloon animal.  I don't know about you, but I just don't have a ton of shades of purple cardstock laying around to try to match together.

I wanted the background to be on full display, so I just adhered the balloon animal directly on, and then stamped on a sentiment from the Stamps of Life (birthday4cookie set, if you were wondering).

I'm entering this card into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Stencil It challenge.

Bug jar

It's a miracle- I had time to get in my craft room today!  After a near catastrophe when my Silhouette initially wouldn't connect to my computer, I was able to make this cute little jar with a firefly from SVG Cutting Files.

I put the firefly onto the box with an Action Wobble.  It's my first time using one, and it's super fun.  I might get addicted!

I used a ton of my scraps of patterned paper on this, which is always fun for me.  The jar was really easy to put together, too.  I don't have any candy in the house right now (post-Easter purge and all) but I'm planning to go to the store and buy some mini candies of some sort to go with the saying that I picked from Jaded Blossom's "Picture This" stamp set. I stamped the stamp on a hand-cut banner that matched the paper I picked for his cute face and legs.

I also used some stickles- yellow for his bum and grape crush for his antennas.  I finished it off with three little rhinestones on the bottom.

I'm entering this project into the following challenges:
Jaded Blossom- Anything 3D
Pause, Dream, Enjoy- Bugs
Die Cuttin Divas- Wobble it
SVG Cutting Files- 3, 2, 1 Go!  (I used 3 rhinestones, 2 colors of stickles, and 1 Jaded Blossom stamp)

Spring Bunny

Hello out there, friends!  I'm super excited today, because we're in a (temporary) thaw here and I actually saw the ground yesterday!  Today we're supposed to have a tropical heat wave of mid-40s, and even though it'll be down in teens again within a week, it gives me a hint that spring is on its way!

To keep with the spring theme, today's card is a cute little spring bunny.  I used a cut file I bought from SVG Cutting Files.  I bought a pack of chalks when Archivers was closing, so I got them out and tried them on the bunny.  It was pretty fun, but I definitely need to keep practicing to get the hang of it!

I used Stickles on the bunny's nose and tail to give him a little pizzaz.  You can barely see it on the picture, though.  The background paper is from my scraps, and I used a scrap of green with a grass die too.  Then I used a little tag that I had punched from a small scrap of paper and stamped the sentiment from the Stampendous "Everything Happy" set.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
SVG Cutting Files- Spring
Die Cuttin' Divas- Love your Pets
Craftin' Desert Divas- Use glitter

VooDoo You Love?

Good afternoon!  I have a really fun card to share today that's been brewing in my head for awhile.  I used the "VooDoo You Love" files from SVG Cutting files to cut this voodoo doll in bright colors.  The file cut stitching marks on her face and body, but I accented them by tracing them with a black gel pen.  I also added some glitter glue (dollar store brand!) to her hair bow.

For the background, I used the Hugs and Kisses cuttlebug folder.  I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to see the texture on black cardstock, but it showed up really crisply.  I love the way it looks!  I also used a border strip embossing folder (Cuttlebug's Just my Type folder set) to mimic the stitching.

Inside, I used the title cut from the same SVG Cutting Files set.  It cut so beautifully!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
SVG Cutting Files- Just a Card
Simon Says Stamp Challenges- Wednesday Challenge, Emboss It

Black Lab Birthday card

Hi friends! Today I have a fun birthday card to share with you. I used a dog from the Dog Gone Cute cut file from SVG Cutting Files. My sister-in-law has a black lab who she adores. I thought it would be fun for her birthday card to have a likeness of her dog Stanley on it.

It's kind of hard to make a die cut using all the same color, but I think she'll be able to tell who it is supposed to be.  :) To help make her nose stand out, I used enamel accents all over it.  I'm going to have to mail this card, so I wanted to make sure it was nice and flat.

I used some patterned paper from my scraps bin for the background and the sign- mixing and matching those papers is my new favorite past time. The sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Birthday Wishes, my favorite birthday stamp set ever.

Silhouette Challenges CH#8 "3D"

There's still plenty of time to enter this month's 

Challenge here at

A blog dedicated to the Silhouette Cutting Machines.
You MUST use a Silhouette somehow in your project.

Ch# 6 3D

Begins: Sunday, December 1
Ends: Saturday, December 31

Sponsors this month are:

My Scrap Chick
Prize: $10.00 GC


My Crafting Channel
Prize: $15.00 Amazon GC


Little Scraps of Heaven Designs
$15..00 GC

For my project, I made a little gift box.  I can't tell you who it's for because it might give away what will be inside it, so you'll have to image a tag shaped like a poinsetta which will be attached to it's left antler.  ;)

I cut this reindeer box from SVG Cutting Files using my Cameo.  I used some brown striped patterned paper for the box, and some scraps of cardstock for the rest of the cuts.

Cutting 3D things from my Cameo is so fun and rewarding.  I hope you'll all give it a try and link up with us at Silhouette Challenges!

Snowflake gift bag

Today's project is...not a card!  Can you believe it?  I've been doing less cards lately, since I have a huge stash, and have been spending more time catching up on scrapbook pages (which often don't end up here).  That's the reason I haven't been around blogland much lately.

But today's not-a-card project was too cute to not share!  I recently had to go through our "gift bags" bin and reorganize to make everything fit.  I realized how many beautiful bags we had that would work well to add my own decoration to and was totally inspired!

This blue shiny bag was one of the ones in my bin.  I cut out the snowflake from SVG Cutting Files.  It's totally cute, and it's one of their freebies!  Bonus!  I made the shadow with my Silhouette studio software.  I put some Waterfall stickles on the outside part of the snowflake, then put some pink and black cardstock behind the face and popped it up on foam squares.  I used two little pink jewels for the cheeks.  

The sentiment on the bottom is on a banner I just cut by hand from a scrap of paper.  I stamped the sentiment from Jaded Blossom's Christmas Wishes stamp set.

This project is being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp- Wednesday Challenge, Bling it on
Die Cuttin Divas- Happy Holidays
Craftin Desert Divas- Christmas!
SVG Cutting Files- Christmas/Winter 

Boys and their Toys

I always love the challenges over at SVG Cutting Files.  This month's challenge is "Boys and their Toys."  This was really a challenge for me, because I don't have any kids and I'm not particularly interested in boy types of topics, so all of the files I've bought from SVG Cutting Files tend to be cute holiday things or dogs.  :)  Luckily, I signed up for the freebies from their newsletter and Facebook group long ago, so I had some goodies to work with.

This card is 5 1/2 inches square.  The background paper is from MME and the button is from the new button set I bought from Making Memories.  I've been keeping them right on my craft table to make sure they get used.  It's working well!

I used two files from SVG Cutting Files on this card, both of which I believe were freebies.  The boy was actually from Earth day, but I cut the globe out of patterned paper and turned it into a ball! 

I also used a piece of trendy twin in the button and some ribbon from....somewhere...along the bottom behind the boy and his toys!

Silhouette Challenges CH#4 "Shaped Card"

It's time for another Challenge over at

A blog dedicated to the Silhouette Cutting Machines.
You MUST use a Silhouette somehow in your project.

Ch# 4 Shaped Card

Begins: Thursday, August 1
Ends: Saturday, August 31

Sponsors this month are:

My Scrap Chick

Prize: $10.00 GC

My Crafting Channel
Prize: $15.00 Amazon GC

Little Scraps of Heaven Designs
$15..00 Gift Card

There's still plenty of time to play along at this month's Silhouette Challenges challenge.  This month, we're all making shaped cards!  I decided to make my shaped card using the "Get Well Dog" file from SVG Cutting Files. I made my shape card by taking the blackout shape and creating an offset.  I then made a copy of the offset, and then another copy that was mirrored above.  The two copies I welded together and cut in white cardstock.  The original offset I cut in the blue patterned paper.  I did this because when I welded the shape, it would have taken some of the top of the dog's head off.  This way, I adhered the blue over the white cardstock and it has a complete shadow.  I guess I could have just done that with the blackout too, now that I think of it.  Oh well, I like blue.

The thing that always trips me up with shaped cards is that I struggle with how to embellish them.  I feel like when I want a shaped card, it's because I love the shape so much!  So with this pup, I decided to make it a girl and I gave her a bow made of trendy twine. 

The sentiment stamped inside is from Jaded Blossom's "Puppy Love" set. 

MP3 Monkey

Hi friends!  Today is a very special day- it's my birthday!  I'm going to spend today doing all sorts of things I love- eating my favorite foods, watching a movie while snuggling with Sophie, maybe even some scrappy shopping.  I recently bought myself my very first iPod (up until now I'd been getting by with off-brand mp3 players) and when I saw this file from SVG Cutting Files, it was too cute to pass up.  I thought what better project to post on my birthday than a birthday bag?

I used the MP3 Monkey cutting file, cut at roughly 4 inches.  I drew on his mouth with a gel pen, and used some ink to give him a little pink on his cheeks.  I also found a couple of pieces of scrap paper in my scraps file that I thought matched the bag well, and then I found this chipboard frame and thought it complemented the colors nicely.  It's amazing how something that comes together relatively quickly (the longest part was picking out the colors to put onto the cameo mat!) can make a plain, old gift bag look so much better.

This bag is being entered into the following challenges:
SVG Cutting Files- Anything but a Card
Little Scrap Pieces- Anything Goes

Orange you Awesome?

Good morning, friends!  For today's project I made a Kool-Aid packet holder.  I've seen similar things used to gift hot chocolate, but it's just a tad too hot for hot chocolate right now, so I thought I'd make a summery twist on it.

I used the Seed Packet file from SVG Cutting Files and just resized it so that a Kool-Aid packet would fit inside.  I cut it in blue, and then cut out a piece of patterned paper from an MME pad just a tad smaller to fit over it. 

The orange is also from SVG Cutting Files.  The set came with this cute orange, and also a slice and a wedge, both of which can also have cute faces.  Then I hand cut the little banner from a scrap I had and stamped the sentiment from Pink by Design's "Orange you Awesome" stamp set.  Of course, I stamped it in orange! 

Front of the packet

 I slipped the Kool-Aid packet in and closed it with a piece of orange washi tape.

The packet opened up

I'm entering this project into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp- Summer Food and Drink 

SVG Cutting Files- Hot Tropics Color Challenge

Guest Designer- Craftin Desert Divas

I am posting today as a guest designer for Craft It Up and Link It Up Linky Party hosted by Tara of Craftin Desert Divas! Every other Monday will mark the beginning of a new semi-weekly linky party and you could win fabulous prizes!!

This linky party theme is Summer Wet and Wild. There are two sponsors for this challenge:
The Robin's Nest - $10 gift card
 Too Cute By Jessica - $20 gift card
Stamping Rules - Your Choice of CTMH Stamp Set (up to $20 retail)


The more you link up, the better chance you have to win.  Visit Craftin Desert Divas for all the rules and to play along.

Here is what I created for this linky party....

I made a card using the "Fun in the Sun" file from SVG Cutting files.  I started this card kind of differently than I usually do- I found the green background paper in one of my MME 6x6 stacks, paired it with the pink paper that it's behind, and then decided to use the girl with it.  I thought she looked like a girl would would appreciate some sparkle, so I really blinged it up (although some of it you can't see on the picture).  On her bathing suit and flip flop straps, which I cut from a scrap of paper I had in my "Scraps" folder, I traced over the design with glitter gel pens.  I added some Stickles to her towel- first a layer of Fruit Punch, then a layer of Cotton Candy.  I also added the rhinestones to her flip flops.  Her sunglasses were cut out of a shimmery black paper I had, too.  Like I said, plenty of sparkle!

I added the crinkle ribbon and the three rhinestones for a little embellishment, but I didn't think it needed too much because of all of the sparkle on the girl. 

Hope you will Craft It Up and Link It Up!!!

I'll also be entering this card into the June Challenge at SVG Cutting Files!

Summer Watermelons

Ever since I got my Cameo, I've been really inspired to make more 3d kinds of projects.  I know that I could have done it with my Cricut too, but I didn't really have many cartridges that had those kind of projects.  But with my Cameo, there are cuts for 3d projects everywhere!  Today I have a summery themed fry box filled with candy to share with you.

I started out with a fry box from SVG Cutting Files.  The fry box file I had from them was a freebie from a blog hop awhile ago, and it had the word "hello" welded to the top of the box.  I just cut it out with my Cameo and then cut the word off with my scissors.   I made it orange because I realized that all of my two sided paper is 6x6 pads or else is for specific scrapbooking projects that I'm working on and so I had to use regular cardstock.  I thought the orange was a nice contrast, though.

Both of the watermelon cuties are also past freebies from SVG cutting files.  As soon as I decided I was going to buy a Cameo, I went straight over and joined the mailing list there so I could start accumulating some files.  She sends out Friday Freebies almost every week!  I also have quite a wish list growing there, because everything is so cute and cute is most definitely my style!

The little flag is a sticker from the Simple Stories Snap label stickers.  I just used some baby powder on the part of the back that wasn't stuck to the fry box and it made it become un-sticky.  I knew I was going to need some teeny tiny sentiments for the flag, so I pulled out a Stampendous set that I have that has all of the seasons.

I filled my fry box with some candy I found at my grocery store called Sour Punch Bits.  (and also a bit of tissue paper, because there was less candy when I opened the box than what I had been expecting.  I'm sneaky like that).

This project is being entered into the following challenges:

SVG Cutting Files- Heat wave (summer related)         

Die Cuttin Divas- Refreshing Summer
Simon Says Stamp Challenge- Summer Fruits

Birthday Cupcake

Hi friends!  Today I've combined a few challenges that I was interested in to make a fun birthday card.  The cupcake is from SVG Cutting files, cut with my Cameo.  The file (called Valentine Cupcake) has a cute face, but I didn't include the eye layers or cheeks because I wanted it to just be a cute cupcake.  I used Cotton Candy stickles all over the frosting of the cupcake for some sparkle.

I used plain pink cardstock for the card base and kraft cardstock to layer on top of it.  The twine across the kraft cardstock is Cherry Cupcake trendy twine.  I stamped the sentiment from My Craft Spot's "Birthday Wishes" and then added the few little pearls as a finishing touch.

This card is being entered into the following challenges: 
SVG Cutting Files- Anything Goes                                                                                                  

All That Stickles- Cotton Candy                                                                                       

Trendy Twine- Get Krafty                                                  

My Craft Spot- Ribbon and Twine