Administrative Assistants Appreciation Day is coming!

Anyone who works in a large company knows the admins keep the place afloat.  Where I work, if it weren't for our admins most of us wouldn't have a pen to write with.  They are the "go to" people for everything in my office.  I don't think I can even describe all that I know they do, and I'm sure there is so much more that I never even see.  I really do appreciate all they do.

In years past I have gotten a single rose and wrote "For all you do, this buds for you".  Kinda cheesy and a total rip off of Anheiser Busch, but fun and simple and it does let them know I appreciate them.  This year I decided cards were the thing.  And since I now know how simple (and simply amazing) Lauren Meader's My Timeless Templates are, I thought I would go with one of those.

This time I chose the All Boxed Up template. One of the design ideas that came with the template styled it like a purse and I knew when I saw it thats one I had to make!

The box consists of 3 basic pieces - the wrap and 2 inside envelope boxes.  Like last time, you print-cut-score-and go!  I cut patterned paper from PTI's Chocolate Remix collection - and becasue I am digging stitching on cards, after I adhered the patterned paper to the wrap, I ran it all through my sewing machine and put a cream zig zag border all along the front, back, and spine.

Tha handles are chocolate grosgrain.  I hand sewed SU! chocolate corduroy buttons on to hold the handles firmly in place.  The rest of the strap is adhered with redline tape. 

Inside there are 2 boxes to hold cards and evelopes.  I'm sure you could find lots of things to fit in there for other gift ideas too!  I just went with a simple matching layer to tie the inside and outside together.

And to fill the inside, I did a very simple matching card.  With minimal layers, 6 fit in just fine.  I added some envelopes to the other side.

Thanks for stopping by.

{Card Box Supplies - all by PTI unless noted}
Stamps: Damask Designs (sentiment)
Paper: Kraft, Very Vanilla (SU!), Chocolate Remix (plaid patterned), Dark Chocolate
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!)
EMbelleishments: Chocolate Chhip grosgrain (SU!), Chocolate Corduroy buttons (SU!)
Tools: ALl Boixed Up My Timeless Template, craft blade, Scor-Pal, sewing machine

A New Card for Lucile

I brought the card file and cards over to my friend on Friday night and she brought them to her mom.  She loved them!  In fact when I brought dinner over for them tonight my friend said there is only one card left!  My first thought was "I better hustle and make some more."

Now Lucile has decided she likes blue best so I made some blue cards for her.  I mentioned last time that she is also a quilter so I decided to use Quilter's Sampler from PTI.

I was reaquainting myself with my sewing machine and discovered this cool wavy stitch,  I played on some scraps til I found the setting that I liked, then stitched the pattered paper to the white card base.

I colored the quilt squares with my new Copics (BG72, 75 and 78).  The center square is up on a pop dot to give a little dimension to the card.

Thanks for stopping by

{Quilt square card supplies - all PTI unless noted}
Stamps: Quilters Sampler
Paper: Stampers Select White, Not Quite Navy Patterns, Not Quite Nave (SU!)
Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black
Tools:sewing machine, thread, Copic Markers ( BG72, 75, 78), square punches

Card File and cards for a friend

A dear sweet friend of mine found out that her mom has cancer about a week ago. We are trying to help out as much as we can as my friend is an only child and her father passed away several years ago. Lucile, my friend's mom, is in care right now and one of the things we can bless her with is note cards. I thought "Note cards need a home" and since I've been really wanting to try out Lauren Meaders, My Timeless Templates, I purchased the Filed with Flair template and got started.

Lucile has been a quilter for ever and for her 90th birthday I made a guest book that incorporated buttons and lace. I knew there had to be a sewing element to this. Her favorite color is purple so I knew that would also dominate.

I first printed the template on PTI Plum Pudding card stock. I figured out where are the red line tape needed to go then started to work on the side mat layers. I used Dawn McVey's Damask Designs and stamped all over the mat layers in SU! Elegant Eggplant. I also sponged the sides of all the layers with the eggplant ink.

I created square and rectangle bits to cover the front and back. Since my sewing thread is cream I used SU! Very Vanilla for the larger layers.

Sewing on paper was interesting ... I practiced first and decide I wasn't good enough to try and sew around the curves so I just did the straight edges of the side layers, but was able to do all of the front and back. I really liked how the zig zag stitching turned out.

I finished it off with some satin ribbon from SU! and the vintage cream buttons from PTI.

I also made a half dozen note simple cards to include in the file.

This is a simple card made from Pale Plum and Perfect Plum card stock. I embossed a matching layer with the Birds & Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder. The leaf image is from PTI's Rustic Branches and the flower is from Around and About Sentiments.

A note about My Timeless Templates:
These are fabulous. 3D stuff is a challenge for me but the templates come with a fabulous design idea document with easy to follow instructions. Lauren makes packaging super cool, and super easy! If you are lucky enough to have a printer that takes card stock (my old one does) then you print - cut - score - and go. Easy peasy!

{Supplies for Card File}
Stamps: Damask Designs (PTI)
Paper:PTI Plum Pudding, SU!Very Vanilla
Ink:SU! Elegant Eggplant
Embellishments:PTI Vintage Cream buttons, SU! Satin ribbon
Tools: Scor-Pal, craft blade (for cutting template), Filed with Flair template, cream quilting thread, sewing machine

{Flower Card}
Stamps: Rustic Branches, Around and About Sentimnets (PTI)
Paper:SU! Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla
Ink:SU! Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke
Tools: Birds & Swirls CB embossing folder, Big Shot

Stamp Camp Gatefold Card

It would help sometimes to read the manual!  I found out on a blog that the Scor-Pal comes with instructions for easily making gatefold cards ... I've had my Scor-Pal for 6 months or more and never knew that! LOL!

So once I learned this vital tidbit I just knew I had to make one.  This is again for an upcoming stamp camp. 

I stamped the front layer using SU!'s Floral background stamp and then sponged the edges.  I used the square flourish-y image from Baroque Motifs for the square layer.

Inside I pulled a page from Michelle Wooderson's book and decorated ribbon,  She is one talented, crafty lady and makes the most adorable embellishments.  For this one I stamped the Floral background on a quarter sheet of cream card stock and then sliced it very thin, to fit between the stitching on the raspberry fizz saddle stitched grosgrain.

I really like how this one turned out - bright and happy.

Thanks for stopping by!

{Floral Gatefold Card - all supplies SU! unless noted}

Stamps: Floral background, Baroque Motifs

Paper: Very Vanilla, Raspberry Fizz (PTI)

Ink:Pink Passion

Accessories: Raspberry Fizz saddle stitched grosgrain (PTI)

Another Raspberry Suite Color Challenge

I am finding the color challenges that Dawn McVey has been posting to be extremely inspiring! I don't mess with color much - just generally go to my faves (the earth elements - love those spice colors!) So getting out of my rut and trying somehting new is wonderful. This week Dawn gave us 5 colors to incorporate:

I immediately thought of the baby wipe technique but struggled a little to get the rest of the card together. I kept thinking of sherbet, then remembered my Sparkling Summer set and went with the popsicles.

You can just notice the shine on the 'sicles. I coated them with Crystal Effects after the ink had dried.

I used Riding Hood Red, Cameo Coral, and Pretty in pink. I also decided I only wanted to use kraft as an accent so you can just see it peeking out on the focal layer.

This a card with several "firsts" on it. Its the first time I've sewn on paper. Michelle Wooderson has inspired me so much in this area. I thought I needed a special sewing machine, but from reading her blog I learned I could just use my regular one. I thought I really needed to know how to sew ... I've never been very good at sewing straight but I think it paid off here :o) I think you'll see more sewing in the future!

I also wanted vanilla hardware, but alas, only order the brushed silver. So .... I made my own. I heat embossed the tag and brads with SU! vanilla EP.

Thanks for stopping by.

{Just Because supplies - all supplies SU! unless noted}
Stamps: Mega Mixed Messages (PTI), Sparking Summer
Ink: Reinkers in Riding Hood Red, Cameo Coral, and Pretty Ink, Momento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Copic markers popsicles sticks adn shadow)
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Kraft, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Brushed Silver Hodge Podge Hardware, Vanilla EP, thred
Tools: heat tool, sewing machine, aqua painter
Technique: Baby Wipe stripes

Wedding Life

... sigh ...

A good friend of mine asked me if I would make her wedding invitations. I decided to make that my gift to her. I asked her permission first to post this, and she said by all means, so here they are (I think they even look pretty just sitting in the box!)

She wanted just random wild flowers and Life was just the perfect set for this. In fact, I had ordered the set but hadn't received it when I suggested it to her. I showed her the images online - she loved it from just that one look!

This was a multi -step process though because of all the stamping.

I first stamped the leaves on the back of the vellum using old olive ink. I let these dry for several hours because I didn't want to risk any smudges or smears.

Then I inked up the tall flower (is it lavendar? I made it orange :o). I used pumpkin pie ink and an always artichoke marker for this. Stamped these images and again let dry, this time over night because it was late and I was tired.

For the final step I used summer sun and rock-n-rolled it with pumpkin pie on the small wild flower in the set (the clear stamps made this a cinch). Then I inked up the stem of the flower with always artichoke and stamped away.

I was prepared for a 4th step, but this seemed to fill everything in nicely.

When this was all dried and the announcement part was printed, I tied them together with Ripe Avocado satin ribbon.

My friend love them and I think I found a new stamping niche ... now I'm helping another friend make invites for her son's wedding. And another friend asked if I could make her invites too.

{Wedding Invitation supplies}

Stamps: Life (PTI)

Paper:Vintage Cream, Vellum Cardstock (PTI!)

Ink:Old Olive, ALways Artichoke, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie (SU!)

Accesories: ripe avocado satin ribbon

Tools: double circle punch

Loving Life ...

... Lisa Johnson's Life stamp set I mean. I have used it over and over in the last few weeks and wanted to show a card I will be doing at an upcoming stamp camp using this set.

I love the clear acetate cards I've seen in the last little bit so thought I would do one too (I'm a horrible copycat :o) )

I used the Backgrounds Basics: Retro for the background. I thought it looked like a trellis and really complimented the garden-y theme.

The color combo is always artichoke, elegant eggplant and cream.

{Friends for Life supplies}
Stamps: Life, Background Basics: Retro (PTI)
Paper:Clear (PTI), Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant, Very Vanilla (SU!)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Always Artichoke and Elegant Eggplant Markers