Sunday, August 24, 2008

At Ease, Son

I've been looking at the cute monogrammed cards that people have posted on their blogs.....someday, when I have the funds and when I can decide which font I like, I'll get a monogram stamp. But until then, I'll just have to make due with what I have.

For a test-run, I decided to make Sophia a monogrammed card using my Hero Arts alphabet set. She likes pink & brown and owls, so I thought Sassafras Lass' "Owl Pals" would be perfect. Okay, this is a lousy photo, because trust me, it really is cuter IRL...
SUPPLIES: Paper...Dark Chocolate, Stamper's Select (PTI), Owl Pals (Sassafras Lass); Stamps...Small Variety Alphabet (Hero Arts), Boxes Bags & Tags (PTI); Misc...dimensionals, classic circles nesties

After I made Sophia's card, Peter was all bummed, because "they don't really make monograms for boys." Partly true, but think about how many boys would really use a set of monogrammed cards for something other than things-that-get-stuffed-under-your-bed-when-mom-says-"clean your room" and that's not a huge market for boy-appropriate monograms.

But since Peter is my youngest, I didn't want to short-change him on a monogrammed card or miss the opportunity develop his hidden talent for letter writing. Peter loves all things military. And how cool is it to be 9 years old and your favorite color is Camo?
I actually had some camo DP in my stash. I found a cute font online (USAAFCStencil) that looks army-ish. I just printed his initials on to cardstock, then cut them out with my nesties. To give it an aged look, I sponged on some distress ink (I really need some practice with this stuff, because my results looked dirty instead of aged...the kids really like the look, so I'll probably have to do more of it).

SUPPLIES: Paper...Kraft (PTI), Georgia-Pacific 110# white, Green Camo (creative imaginations); Font...USAAFCSTENCIL (dafont.com)

A big Thank-You to Peter for loaning me his comforter and his room for this photo! I wish photos could capture the wonderful 9 year-old boy aroma, too...he uses this quilt year-round, and it is awesome!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Kidspiration #7

Seems like my girls have been more inspired than me lately. Sophia got up one morning, and started making a card ("No reason, just felt like it"). Of course, this inspired Anastasia to be inspired...so, here are the latest from my Ladies:

Sophia's card began by cutting the green paper into blades of grass, then she found the ladybug stamp and voila!

Anastasia noticed that our new clock stamp matched some printed paper bags that someone gave us. She stamped and cut out the clock and put it on the clock image (with dimensionals) on the background paper:

Thank you, Ladies! Maybe I'll get inspired soon, too....

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Sarah & Sierra's Birthday

My kids have several dolls, and every few months, I am informed that it is one of their birthdays. I usually make something for the doll (after all, I am it's Grandma). Sometimes we make a dessert (something small, because dolls are small). And usually all the dolls show up on my kitchen counter for the entire Birthday: kind of fun.

Anyways, a few weeks ago, it was Sarah & Sierra's Birthday. I think they're twins. One likes pink and the other likes green. I'm a lousy grandma, because I can't tell them apart.

I didn't have time to make them a gift, so I made some quick cards. These are small cards...I used my Marvy scalloped square punch to make the base, and used a birthday sentiment from PTI's Mixed Messages for the inside of the card...For their birthday "cake", I sliced up a Little Debbie Swiss Roll (like a Hostess Ho-Ho) and put them on tiny plates for all the dolls; it was quite the party!
Happy Birthday, Sarah & Sierra!!!

SUPPLIES: Stamps...Birthday Cupcake (Inkadinkado), Mixed Messages (PTI); Ink...Palette Noir; Paper...pink & green (The Paper Company), Berry Sweet designer mat pad (K&Company); Misc...Marvy Scallop punch, Square (Whale-of-A Punch), prismacolor pencils, sakura glitter pen.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Easy Thank-Yous

Looks like it's been a few weeks since I posted...we went to visit my parents a few weeks ago, and I feel like I've been playing "catch up" just to get things back to normal (whatever "normal" is).

Anyways, here are a couple of incredibly easy thank-yous I did for my aunts, who put together a really nice family reunion...I really should have made them fancier, but I was in a hurry, and my stamping "space" is a joke right now (so I'm making my cards on the floor now)...I used my favorite, old stand-by layout: Image on the left, sentiment lower right.

Note to self: I used clear EP on the image and gold on the sentiment...still don't know if I really needed to emboss the image, but it did make the card a little more fancy. Organdy ribbon could have been cute, but I didn't have any, and needed to get these in the mail.
SUPPLIES for Aunt Annette's card: Stamps...tulip (Anna Griffin), thank you (CHF); Ink...chianti, evergreen (Colorbox), versamark; Paper...Vintage Cream (PTI), DP & dark green (Basic Grey "Sugared"); Misc...gold EP, clear EP, dimensionals

SUPPLIES for Aunt Bea's card: Stamps...tulip (Anna Griffin), thank you (CHF); Ink...chianti, moss green (Colorbox), versamark; Paper...Vintage Cream, Spring Moss (PTI), DP & burgundy (Basic Grey "Mellow"); Misc...gold EP, clear EP, dimensionals.j
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