Kitties and Puppies

What better way to wish you a happy day than with kitties and puppies?!

The Fine Print: Kitty and Puppy stamp sets by Stampin' Up "Pretty Kitty" and "Bella and Friends," flower punch by SU, cards and topper by My Mind's Eye, ribbon from my stash.

Topiary

I've always had this thing for topiaries. I find them appealing in a completely man-made way. I also have this thing for vertical greetings (we need more of them), so of course this stamp set spoke to me. It said, "Judy, take me home with you." That was a couple of months ago and we're still getting along smashingly.

The Fine Print: Stamps and ribbon by Stampin' Up "Vertical Greetings," inks by Memento and cardstock from my stash.

Combat Action Stapler

I was crafting in my room the other evening when my husband came in and pulled one of my tools off my desk.  "Wow! Look at this stapler! It means business. It's like a combat action stapler! Oh, look at this--it's a Tim Holtz combat action stapler!"

But, of course.

The Fine Print: Tim Holtz Combat Action Stapler by Tim Holtz. Not intended for those under the age of 3 years. Please do not operate while drunk or under the influence. Please post to Facebook if you experience an erection lasting more than 4 hours. Combat Action Stapler not meant for actual combat action, police standoffs, bar mitzvahs, or toenail removal.  Please use responsibly. 

Fall Fell

So I made a Fall themed tag the other day...

Let's try that again. So I made a Fall themed tag the other day...

Dio, you aren't helping any. Okay, take three. This one will be a winner.  So I made a Fall themed tag the other day with some...

Dio! Put that down. So I made a Fall themed tag the other day with some die cut leaves, one was orange and the other wa...

Wait a minute! It wasn't gold sparkle. What's up with this thing???!

Oh, nevermind.

The Fine Print: Leaf die by Spellbinders, foliage die by Tattered Lace, greeting by A Muse Artstamps, flower chipboard by We R Memory Keepers, burlap ribbon by SU, other stuff from my stash. 

Meow Meow Monday

I went to a Kitty Kard Klass Stampin' Up workshop a couple of weeks ago and the hostess was none other than a lady named Kitty. It turns out she couldn't make it to her own workshop, so we all had to make Kitty Kards for her. That turned out kind of fun because we could then use whatever Kitty Kard stash we could get our paws on.

The Fine Print: Most products by Stampin' Up except the twine (top card, A Muse Studio), the spider eyelet (random Halloween stash) and the gingham ribbon. 

Mocking Myself

This card cracks me up. Every time I see the thumbnail of it, I ask myself why on earth I took a picture of the top of a Memento ink pad. But no, it's not an ink pad. It is another one of the tri-fold cards I made when in my boat mode.

This other card makes me laugh too. This time it is the greeting that gets me going. Isn't the saying about not having both oars in the water a euphemism  for "crazy"??  So instead of saying get well, isn't this card actually implying that you hope the recipient finds their sanity soon?

The Fine Print: You know it, why do I have to say it? Okay... Club Scrap "Sail Away." Hope the voices in your head stop soon! THere's a greeting you'll never find at Hallmark. 

Get Naked!

Maybe not like totally naked, like maybe just your shoes and socks, and only if you don't have stinky, gnarly hobbit feet with hickorynut toenails.

The Fine Print: It's Club Scrap "Sail Away." We haven't escaped that stuff yet.

Frisky Friday

I've been sitting around debating if today is or is not payday. That's how life gets once you put yourself on a budget--you know longer count the moments until payday as you and your checking account drift into it on fumes.

It also means you don't buy every new crafting product that catches your eye. In fact, you tend to ponder your purchases carefully, making sure you would get lots of mileage out of them and that it's not just a whim that makes you want it.

I'm not perfect; I still pick up a thing or two that in hindsight isn't going to go far with me. However, these two cute animal sets are not like that. They are complete winners. I can see using them for years to come.

The Fine Print: It's true that I was sick of both of them last week, but I got over it. Stamps by Stampin' Up "Bella and Friends" and "Pretty Kitty," card topper and bases by My Mind's Eye. BTW, it is payday. 

Llama, Llama Ding Dong

Remember how I said I broke myself and lost my ability to craft? That's still happening but I'm trying to power through it. I found some bits and pieces in a box so I thought I'd turn them into a card. I used a card topper for the front and dry embossed the front panels. I thought that was still pretty dull so I added a festive banner.

A card like that requires that you decorate the inside too, so I did. I failed to stamp the vine flourish well, so I covered up my boo boo with a paper flower. It's all good!

The Fine Print: Card base and toppers by Club Scrap, banner die and all stamps by Stampin' Up "Birthday Fiesta."

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

I may have shared this story with you before, but you'll just have to hear it again. Once upon a time within the last decade I took a Intermediate Algebra class. I got permission from work to adjust my schedule so I could take it in the middle of the day. You know who takes college classes in the middle the day????  College-aged students, that's who.

So there I was, the only old crusty person in the who class, surrounded by wet-behind-the-ears young 'uns. One day before class I was listening to the young lad next to me telling his friend this tale:

You know, you start kindergarten at age 5, then from there you go into elementary school. Then it's straight to junior high and high school. You graduate high school and jump right into college. Here I am in my second year of college, so I've been going to school every year of my life for the last fifteen years! 

Wow! I thought, "Holy crow!" I went straight from college to working at the college. That means I've been going to school every year of my life for the last *mumble*mumble* years of my life! That's like, an awful lot of school.

The Fine Print: *mumble*mumble* roughly translates to 44 years these days. Stamp and punches by Stampin' Up, designer paper from The Paper Cut, ribbon from my stash. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to school I go, with razor blades and hand grenades, hi ho, hi ho!

Last Gasp of Summer

Okay, it's probably not summer's last gasp for the year, but it is time to switch gears and start making fall cards. However, I had to get this last summer card out of the way first.

It is one of those sideways cards where you pull the two edges and then a flag pops up. When I first learned about them it was called a surprise pop up card. I also only had verbal directions so it was hit or miss on if my flag would pop up properly or not.

When cruising around Splitcoast the other day I ran across it called a wiper card. I checked out the directions and now I know the secret of the flag and how to get it to pop up every time.

I sent this card to my friend. Then a couple of days later I sent her the directions. She called me last night to thank me for the directions because she said she had it mostly figured out from my card but couldn't make the flag pop up reliably. Once she had the directions, it worked a champ.

The Fine Print: Stamp by Stampin' Up "Sketches" an old retired stamp that everyone just had to have and that I missed out on. Then a friend had to give away. Bless her soul! Border punch by Martha, heat punch by EK Success, flowers by Prima, designer paper from my stash. 

Taco-less Tuesday

I think I broke myself making those couple dozen similar cards last weekend. This past weekend I couldn't remember how to craft. Well, first I did manage to make 10 of these fall themed ATCs. They were fun since I wasn't quite sure what the final product should look like and just fuddled along with this and that until they were done.

After that, I couldn't cut straight or accurately, my ability to match colors was out the window, I put adhesive on every surface except the one that needed it... Basically everything I touched turned to crap.

That's when I decided to pull out one of those kits where all you have to do is assemble the pieces. Surely I could do that?! I got the spacing a little off but it all works out anyway. I even did a bit of sponging and doodling too.

That was it though. The one card took it right out of me. Ever have one of those nothing-goes-right weekends?

The Fine Print: Scarecrow die by Cheery Lynn, Fence die by Taylored Expressions, pumpkin die by Impression Obsession, Sunflower punches by Marvy, dotted stencil and distress Stickles by Tim, stamped greenery by Hero Arts and Stampin' Up. Hello card parts from Basic Gray "Lime Rickey."

The Good Mom

Okay, so apparently it isn't cool to diss mummies on the internet like I did yesterday. I take it all back. My mum's a good mum. *wink*

The Fine Print: Mum stamp by Stampotique, beater greeting by Riley & Co, kitchen designer paper unknown. 

I Want My Mummy!

You know what else besides zombies are cool?

MUMMIES!

Unless, of course, it is my mummy. Then it's all, "You never call me." "Sit up straight--don't slouch." "Eat your peas." "Your face is going to freeze like that." "Because I said so, that's why."

Maybe mummies aren't so cool after all.  Sorry, mummy.

The Fine Print: Mummy by Stampabilities, designer paper by DCWV, poofy bat sticker by the poofy bat sticker people, ribbon from my stash. 

Zombies are your Friend

I don't know about you but I'm tired of blue/green/yellow boat cards and blue/cream/brown puppy and kitty cards. Like I mentioned in yesterday's post I learned that there really can be too much of a good thing.

Unless it is a zombie. You can't have too many zombies.

The Fine Print: My logic may be a little faulty. Zombie stamp by Stampotique, chevron ribbon by A Muse Studio, spotted paper and flowers from my stash.

Know When to Fold Them

My gosh, I still have 9 more of those cards I made this past weekend to share with you. I thought about shoving them all into this one last post but that seemed to picture heavy.

I want to tell you that I learned some things making these similar cards with a few set items (almost like a kit, if you will). I learned that I really like to have limited things to play with in one session. It seems to spark my creativity. I've know that about myself for a long time, but it is good to be reassured that it is still so.

Inside reads: Not just a year old, also a year better-Happy Birthday

I started off basically using only the supplies in the kit, the card bases, the greetings, brads and ribbons with some added paper flowers. It was nice start but the cards weren't that exciting, so I tried using some random things on my desk. I didn't have many random things that matched and that wasn't really catching my attention. That's when I broke out with my puppy and kitty stamps and went to town.

It was a fun play session and I finished all but 6 of the cards in one day. The next day I went in to finish off those last 6 and that was the bridge too far, the straw that broke the back, the one that flew over the cuckoo's nest.  It was just too much. You need to know when to stick a fork in it and call it done.  Working until you've finished off the stack might make you resent the whole process. That's not fun.

The Fine Print: Card bases and greetings by My Mind's Eye, puppy stamp by Stampin' Up, and boat die by Tattered Lace. I want to say that I suspect it will be a long time before you see me use the puppy and kitty stamps again except for I already have several cards made with them that I have not shared yet. 

Cats are Jerks

Doesn't this little kitty look as pleased as punch to have received a cupcake with a candle on it for his birthday? That's because cats are jerks and he plans to burn your house down with that open flame. You know, other than that, it's all good.

Here's the little kitty again after he's burned your house down. He still looks pleased as punch, doesn't he?! That's because cats are jerks.

Here's Mister Pryo Kitty's bestest friend. She's telling the butterfly all your worldly secrets.

Here's the butterfly armed with your worldly secrets and a bunch a cat hair. You'll be sitting outside watching the butterflies, thinking you are safe from all evil and harm (ie, cats) and suddenly BOOM! cat hair in your eye. Because, that's how cats are... If they can't do the deed themselves they find someone else to do their dirty work.

The Fine Print:Card bases and toppers by My Mind's Eye (which also has cat hair in it), stamp by Stampin' Up "Pretty Kitty," flower and circle punches also by SU, butterfly punch by Memory Box. paper flowers and cardstock snippets from my stash. I just felt like calling cats jerks today. I have a herd of them so I'm entitled. 

My mom's kinda a bitch.

Playground Wednesday

Oh my gosh, if you think I am done showing you the cards I made this past weekend you are mistaken. If you want to see more of them check out Monday's and Tuesday's posts (and probably Thursday's and Friday's as well once they get here).

In case you just showed up here, the story goes I went to go do one thing and instead did another. The other thing was a box of card bases and greeting toppers that called out to be made into finished cards. I had to add stamps and/or other embellishments to them to make them more interesting. All the extra stuff I used were just snippets and scraps, which is why we're heading out to the Snippet Playground today.

I wasn't a big fan of these dotted card bases at first but I came around to their way of thinking. I enjoyed that kitty card so much that instead of coming up with a fresh idea, I made a second one. I colored the second kitty with some different grays. I like tiger kitties so they both got stripes.

The Fine Print: Card bases and topper by My Mind's Eye, flower punch and stamps by Stampin' Up "Bella and Friends" and "Pretty Kitty," butterfly punch by Martha, scallop edging by an old pair of those decorative scissors that we all had to have when they first came out. 

Bella and Friend

After I made the cards I shared yesterday I made these and went back to incorporating some of the greetings that were included in the box. I had to add stamps though, because I'm a stamper at heart.

That said, I am going to link up with a new challenge called Perfectly Created Chaos. I know about chaos, I'm not so sure about the perfect part but I can stamp and that is what their first challenge is all about--stamped images. Check them out! 

The Fine Print: Card bases and toppers by My Mind's Eye, stamps by Stampin' Up "Bella and Friends," cardstock and ribbon snippets from my stash. 

Mundane Monday

Have you ever had one of those crafting sessions where you sit down with the express idea of making this but something distracts you and you end up making that. Then later you are left wondering just what happened?

That's what happened to me this weekend. I know just what happened though. There was this box.... and it's been there for awhile, "there" being kind of in the way, so I opened it... and it was chock full of cards bases and card toppers.

I started by putting these two cards together, pulling out some scrap pieces of matching cardstock. some paper flowers, and some brads.  After I made them I thought those were rather dull and staid and I truly didn't feel like doing the rest of the batch up like that.

So I pulled out some stamps to go with the stuff I had because there is more to life than just greetings. That, and also some of the greetings weren't that useful to me... Happy Bar Mitzvah; Over The Hill; Congratulations on Your Divorce; To My Favorite Daughter, No, Not You, The Other One.*  Then I started to have lots of fun even if I didn't get done what I planned.

*Just an example, which may or may not bear any resemblance to reality.

The Fine Print: Card bases and greeting toppers by My Mind's Eye, stamps by Stampin' Up "Pretty Kitty" and "Bella and Friends," scraps, flowers, eyelets, and brads from my stash. Did I mention this kinda in the way box held whole lot of card bases and toppers? Be prepared...