Today's card is made using Alcohol Inks and the Frame-Its kit.  The great thing about CTMH paper is the white core it has. It's wonderful for sanding and embossing. As you can see when embossing with the "Frame-Its" the leaves just popped right out with no sanding at all.  The bird is layered using acetate paper and Alcohol Inks. The "4 YOU" is from CTMH "Remarkable Wreath" stamp set.  One thing I did learn is you cannot punch card stock and Acetate paper adhered together.  I thought I had broke my bird punch but my husband was able to fix it. Yah!! So a word of advice, when cutting out your images of card stock and acetate use free hand cutting and not your punches!

 See how beautiful the colors run together.

Hope you have a good weekend filled with family, friends and lots of crafting.....

Hello.  Our Wednesday Ladies Card Night was cancelled at the last minute.  haaaaa  Heather got sick (hope you feel better Heather!!) and a couple other things came up.  So I decide to share with you the card I created for the ladies had we meet.  I used the kissing technique for Alcohol Inks I learned in class at the Hen House.  I hope to share with you more things I have done with Alcohol inks.   

I used the CTMH "Family Love" stamp set.  It's on page 53 of the catalog.
 It's a  really cool stamp set  for cards and scrap booking. 

Here is a close up of the bird using Alcohol Inks.  

Wishing you a day filled with sunshine and blessings.

Once a month I attend a class at the Hen House given by DeeDee.  This month's class was on Alcohol inks. What an excellent class it was!  DeeDee is a great teacher!! I have never used Alcohol inks before and found them to be very interesting.  Every time you use them you have a unique design.  No two designs are the same even if you try.  I really like that!!  Along with her friend Sandy Lilly they taught us four different techniques using the Alcohol inks.  I am going to play with these techniques and see what I can come up with.  Here are the cards I made in class.

We stamped the Dream catcher on white card stock.  Using an Ink
applicator and felt, we added the alcohol inks to Acetate 
(clear plastic) and layered that on top of the stamped C.S.
The buttons were also inked to match the paper. 

To make the butterflies we used the alcohol inks on white glossy card stock,
stamped the card stock with 3 different patterns and punched them out.
We also inked the metal "hope" accent to match.

Here we dropped the alcohol ink onto the clear acetate. Kissed it with a
second piece of acetate to blend and pulled it apart. We stamped the
balloon onto white card stock and adhered the inked acetate to the image.
We then cut it out and assembled to the card. 

A close up of the image. The colors are so bright and beautiful!

So this one I DID NOT do a good job on.  I need a lot of practice on this technique.
We stamped the image onto the acetate, turned it over and added glossy accents (glue),
added drops of the alcohol ink to the glaze. Then sprinkled it with glitter, applied tissue
 paper on top and gently rolled over the tissue paper with a brayer (roller).  The key
word here is gently.  As you can see there was nothing gentle about mine...

Here is a close up of the image.  When done properly it's a great technique.

Just before the class started, a woman came into the Hen House and bought her very first stamp.  I wanted to welcome her to the "Million Dollar Club"  hee hee.  I Love Love this hobby but it can get pricey.  So many new products so little money...Before I was retired I would say "So many new products so little time"...Time and money we just don't seem to have enough....Thanks for stopping by!!  Have a day filled with Sunshine and Smiles.  

My daughter's boyfriend gave her a dog for her birthday this past January.  She named her Bella and she is growing fast.  She took her in to be spayed so I had to make Bella a card. 

The dog and bone are both Quick Kutz, the dog house is made
 using CTMH  "Around the Block.
The dog dish is free hand cut and I used "Flower Soft" for the food. 

Stephanie brought Bella her home for Spring Break.  
She is so lovable and full of energy!!
As you can see she made herself right at home.
Being that she is our only grandchild she has the run of the house. 

Thanks for letting me share our Bella with you!

The Saturday workshop/class was so much fun.  All the ladies loved their "Stella" Workshop on the Go packets.  

Our next  workshop/class is scheduled for April 21, 2012 at 9:00am. The ladies decided on the Workshop on the Go "Lucy Kit".  This packet comes with the most gorgeous paper.   If you are interested in this class please call me at 505-934-2504 or email: djparra7@aol.com.  The cost is $35.00 and includes the "Lucy" packet, coffee/snacks and Make It Take It cards. At least one of the cards will be a Mother's day card. 

Everyone did such a wonderful job on their cards!! We ate, talked, laughed and created these cards.  Thank you ladies for coming!  I really enjoyed our morning together.  I hope you enjoy the cards as much as I enjoyed making them with you!!  

Since the paper is double-sided you can choose either side of the 

paper creating the same card with a different look. 

This card was made by Theresa using the other side of the paper.

 Way to go Theresa!!  You did a GREAT JOB!  

The blue flower accent behind the "I Chairish You" is the lampshade stamp.
Pretty cool huh?

The lamp shade was cut out and popped using adhesive tape. 

The bottom half of the card was scored, then sanded leaving the lines
white and raised.  The Lace flower is part of the Stella Kit. 

The chipboard heart is part of the packet. It's distressed

with ink, ribbon and bling.

This card combines the chair and the lampshade together.

The paper  used here is from CTMH but not from the Stella Kit

Thanks for viewing our Cards. I hope to see you at our next class/workshop on April 21st. Have a super GREAT week!!!

March 20th was the official first day of spring.  There was nothing Spring about it.  Here in Albuquerque it was cold and windy. Yesterday was more like a Spring day.  The sun was shinning, the birds were singing and we had very little wind.  It was a great day.  

This Easter card was made using the CTMH "Springtime" set. 

I have to share my daffodils with you.  I just love flowers.
To me Flowers are like Friends you can't help but be happy
 when you are surrounded by them.   

Happy Spring Day to you!!  Don't forget to check back on Monday for the card class cards I will be sharing.

It's Thursday! Time to share our "Wednesday Ladies Card Night".  All the cards are very different yet we had a theme going.  I guess I didn't get the memo because the theme for the night was Cricut cut outs and punches.  My card is the only one we had to color and not layer to put it together. Like always they all did a wonderful job on the cards.  Debbie was out sick so we hope she feels better soon!!  

Marti's Card
Look at that Mushroom paper...  She did a great job matching the  mushrooms using the Cricut.
 We used foam adhesive to pop the mushroom.
She always does such a wonderful job adding the stitching look around her cards!

Heather's Card
We used several different punches to create  a unique look for each circle and square.
Make sure you click on the image to see the mini hearts we used.
Very simple and yet so elegant. 

Renee's card
How cute is that giraffe?
We used inks to distress his body to give him some color .
The blue and brown paper really make the giraffe stand out.
It's a fun child's birthday card!

Denita's card
The flower is a CTMH stamp set "Blessed" and the butterflies are Hero Arts .
We used the Copic markers to color the flower and butterflies. 

Inside Denita's card

I made this card for my sister's birthday  few weeks ago. I  added the butterfly to her gift to match her card. 

Thanks for stopping by and make sure you check back on Monday.  I am having a card class on Saturday using the Workshop on the Go "Stella Kit".  I will feature the cards we create. Have a happy crafting weekend!

Here is a quick and easy card to make.  This card is all about the beautiful paper.

 Don't you just love those blue eggs in those nests? 

Using blue card stock I glued the pattern paper to it and attached that to the 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 gray card stock. I punched out the bird, glued it with foam adhesive and added a bling for the eye.  Attached the ribbon and it's done. 

The paper is from Michael's and the bird from Stampin Up.

Have a wonderful spring day!!!!

I am playing around with a new crafting technique.  A couple of months ago I attended a card making class.  We used a "Frame-Its" shape kit to make one of the cards.  I really liked it.  My neighbor Heather bought a "Frame-Its" set at the Stamp Convention last weekend.  She was nice enough to let me borrow it. Thank you Heather!

   

The Frame-Its kits are cardboard cut outs that turn embossing folders into a beautiful embossed "frame" leaving an un-embossed circle, oval, square or rectangle area in the center or depending on where you place it.  These two cards are my first attempts at using the "Frame-Its".  I will continue to play with them and show you my progress.  

I used a floral embossing folder with the oval Frame Its Kit.  

  I am not sure where I got this stamp but she sure is a cute.  

Hello everyone!    I want to share with you a mini photo album I made for my great nephew Damaico who turned one  this month. His birthday party was on Saturday, he ate lots of cake and we all had a great time. He is such a happy little boy and so darn cute!!! 

The book measures 5 X 7 and holds about twelve 4x6 pictures.

  His T-shirt reads "New Mexico Lobos"
I used the CTMH "Family Love" stamp set found on page 53 of the catalog.
The car is from a Cricut cartridge and the frame from a Sizzix die cut. The heart is felt sticker.

This is the inside back cover of the album.  The stamp set is CTMH "Token Alphabet"

Inside cover.
Damacio's name is spelled with an "O" at the end.   I put an  "A" by mistake
but caught it before I gave it as a gift but not before I took this picture....

This is a book marker.  I cut out the book marker, added his picture
 and covered it in Chenille Stems and yarn. Using the "Token  Alphabet"
I added "READ"

Here is the marker inside a book.
Is he just so adorable!!
 These make great Easter Gifts. 

Hope your stamping, laughing and having fun!!! Have a great week!

Happy St. Patrick's day and Top of the Morning to Ya. Are you wearing Green today? Since St. Patrick's day is on a Saturday this year I am sure there will be many celebrations.  I made a couple of cards in honor of St. Patrick's day. These cards were made using dollar bin stamps, flowers & clovers. The ribbon is from Williams & Sonoma gift wrapping. (from the wedding shower I had a few weeks back.) You all know me already I have to save everything....hee hee

I will leave you with some Irish quotes:

*The Irish ignore anything they can't drink or punch. 
*You never miss the water till the well has run dry. 
*The longest road out is the shortest road home. 
*The Irish are very fair people, they never speak well for one another. 
*Good laugh and long sleep are the best cures in a doctor's book.
*May you get all your wishes but one so you always have something to strive for.
*Wherever you go and whatever you do, May the luck of the Irish be there with you.
*He is bad that will not take advice, but he is a thousand times worse that takes every advice.

* "Who gossips with you will gossip of you."

*Only Irish coffee provides all main essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat. 

*"Don't give cherries to pigs or advice to fools."

*"Sláinte!" (Health!/Cheers!)

*"A silent mouth is sweet to hear."

*May the Lord keep you in his hand and never close his fist too tight.

*"May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends beneath it never fall out."

*"A son is a son till he takes him a wife. A daughter is a daughter all of her life."

 Slainte! (Health!/Cheers!) May your craft bin always be full, your ideas plentiful, may your purse always hold a coin or two and may the hand and laughter of a crafter always be near you!  Have a green day!

Today I am sharing a boys birthday card with you.  The car is from a Circut cartridge. The road is made from a Cuttlebug embossing folder called "Herringbone". (double click on the picture to enlarge to see the texture on the road) The stop light was made using scrap paper and a CTMH pin clip.  I cut the clouds using a Sizix die cut.   Enjoy your weekend!!

So last Friday I took a class on how to use Copic markers.  Laura Fulcher from Memory Box taught a wonderful class at The Hen House.  I have always wanted to take a class to see what all the fuss is about. So THANK YOU Heather for letting me borrow your markers for the class!!!!  

While guess what?  They were really pretty easy to use and I learned all the Ins and Outs about the markers. I never knew there was so much to learn about a marker. To me they are a bit pricey. I guess they are worth the price if you use them ALL the time. I'm  not sure if I want to invest my children's inheritance for the markers at this time.  Maybe with a 40% off coupon at Michael's I can buy one a month......

Memory Box has some great stuff.  They have so many die cuts and stamps.   I did purchase some of  the paper and one die cut from Memory Box that night.  Apparently they sold out of the good stuff within 10mins of the trunk show. 

     

Next Wednesday we will be making a few cards using Copic Markers so I can share with the ladies what I learned.   Here are the cards I made. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of my Copic marker coloring. 

Here we used three different colors to shade the flowers. 

The bird was shaded using a green and blue marker

Three colors were used for the butterfly

The Dogwood flower was colored with Aqua Blue and Wisteria. Then using a rag dipped in clear blender solution we dabbed the flower leaving white specks.  It was pretty cool!! 

Hope you enjoyed seeing the cards as much as I enjoyed making them.  Please leave a comment on the markers especially if you use them.  I would love some feed back from the professionals.
Thank you for visiting my blog!!

Here is another card using the same CTMH paper.  The "THANK" is made using CTMH stamp set "Token Alphabet".  It's a  versatile stamp set because you can stamp the letters or punch them out as I did.  You have a choice of three different backgrounds to add color to the letters or you can leave them blank.  Here I used the dots background.  The "YOU" is a pack of cardboard letters I got from a dollar bin. To see the full stamp set see page 117 of the catalog. 

 Our Ladies Card Night is cancelled tonight because of other obligations. So tomorrow I will be featuring cards from a Copic marker class I took last Friday.  It was sponsored by" Memory Box"  at the Hen House. Have you heard of Memory Box?  I had never heard of them until this Class.  Make sure you check back tomorrow to see the cards I made!!

Inside of the card

 Have a nice relaxing day with some stamping and crafting!!

Happy Tuesday to you.   It takes me about a month to adjust to the new time change.  My clock says get up my body says stay in bed.   How is the extra hour of sunshine doing for you?  I came across some paper from CTMH that I just love so I made a birthday card with it.   As you can see I am into butterflies lately. 

 I have one more place for my Class on March 24th at 9:00am.  Don't miss out on the fun!!

If you're interested give me a call at 505-934-2504 or emial: djparra7@aol.com. 

Enjoy your day! 

I have been working on some gift/party boxes.  The design came from my cousin Karen.  

They are very simple to make and can be decorated in so many different ways. 

Here I made a "Just for You" - "Easter" - "Happy Birthday" 

The flower stamp is from CTMH and the butterfly from Hero Arts.

The topper on this one was from a dollar bin.  I wanted more
but it was the only one package left! boo hoo

Add some chocolate Easter eggs and you have a wonderful  Easter treat.

This is the inside of the boxes.  I used mini clothespins but you could use any type of clip.

I put a gift card inside the box, made the  matching
card  and gave this as a birthday gift yesterday. 

Sending you a week filled with more Sunshine and smiles.....