Basic Grey Card

Had to take a minute to post one more card made from the MFTA January Card Kit, which as I told you before is the Basic Grey Bittersweet Card Kit. This card is another made without following the directions that come with the kit, but it is ALL Basic Grey - which I LOVE! The hearts on the card are from a Two Scoops die cut sheet. I inked the edges of all the pieces and used foam dots under the hearts.I added pink Stickles on two hearts and part of the top fold of the card, just to give it a little bling!

I am also sending this card to a great blog I found. It is all about making projects using Basic Grey. It is not affliiated with Basic Grey itself - it's just for BG lovers, like me! I am adding it to my fav spots, so ya'll need to check it out! You'll find lots of BG inspiration!

Oh, by the way, don't forget that MFTA is having an ATC swap for February with the themes "Valentines" and "Sassy Sayings". That means everyone will make 4 ATCs - 2 of each. I have posted about our swap on Willow Traders, so I hope we have a GIGANTIC swap this month! Be sure to go by the Attic and sign up!

Another Valentine's Card Sketch

Wow! I have been on here 2 days in a row! Amazing. Actually, I think this is the same day - it was so late last night when I was blogging! Anyway, I just had to show you one more card I made for Scrapmania and More's Valentine Card Sketch Challenge. My card is almost exactly like the sketch. I used Me and My Big Ideas Paper. Can't remember where the lace or forever stamp came from. Shame on me. I need to ALWAYS remember to keep the packaging so this doesn't happen. I am getting better about it, but still forget. The flowers are Prima and the fabric brad in the middle is from K & Co. Scrapmania and More is a really cool blog done by Ingrid in the Netherlands. So even though she has a world clock on her blog, I am still not sure if they are behind or ahead of us, so I don't know if I even made it in time! She is drawing for really nice RAK. I love the shabby chic look of the paper I used. I crumpled it and inked the edges to make it even more so. So, if I am too late for the drawing, I still have a shabby chic card to give to someone. Hmmmmm..........

Have you seen Card Patterns blog?

Card Patterns is a blog with a new sketch every week for all of us card makers. Here is the first sketch for February. Great start, I think. Below is my take on the sketch. I had to make a Valentines Card! I couldn't help myself. I think I could make them year round. I am really looking forward to making more cards from the sketches from appears to be an awesome blog!

Btw, pardon my poor photo of my card. I usually scan them, and my computer with my scanner is down, which means Matt will have to get busy today! Obviously, my picture taking skill when it comes to cards and lo's still needs improvement. Practice, practice. I will get better, I will get better......

January Basic Grey Card Kit at the Attic

Let me start by saying that I have not followed up on my promise to keep my blog up to date. I am sure you are in a complete state of shock over this! ha ha Nevertheless, here I am, and it hasn't been THAT long! Just had to let you in on some changes going on at the Attic. Jeri has decided to change her kits to make them different and exciting. Some will have a class or tutorial format. All of them will have challenges, awesome ideas and examples, and the kits themselves will be really cool and affordable! Please go have a peek and pick up a kit while you are there! lol

I really promise to give you more info about the kits by this weekend. It's just that it is 4:00 a.m. or something right now, and I just don't have time to tell you about it all. I will say that I will be doing the tutorials, challenges, RAKs and all of those good things for the Card Kits. The January Card Kit was the Basic Grey Bittersweet Card Kit. It comes with instructions and materials for 8 gorgeous cards that you can make in a jiffy, plus there is extra material if you have the time and inclination to be creative. Here are a few of the cards from the kit made following the instructions:

I thought these turned out so cute, and believe me, all I did was follow the easy instructions. Even the chipboard pieces have adhesive on the back. Here are I couple of cards I made adding some of my own stamping. The SWAK card has "love tickets" made from stamps by Inkadinkado. The "Some Birdy Loves You" card has a stamped image from Magenta. I cut out the middle of it, and also embossed it with clear embossing powder after I stamped it. Btw, the stamp was given to me by my "stamp buddy" Michelle in a Stamp Swap we had at the Attic! She also gave me another birdy stamp I had been drooling over! Thanks, Michelle! Anyway, here are those other cards. Remember, most of the materials are still from the kit. How versatile can you get?

You can see I also added some paint and some feathers to the last card, plus a clear journaling square from Maya Road. Those cute lips are rubons from the Basic Grey Kit. Hope you have enjoyed looking at a few of the cards I made from this fabulous kit. Yes! A few! There are more! You see why you NEED this kit? lol Anyway, I promise to be back soon. Lots to share with you!

Just some new scrappy things.....

Here I am, and it's not months since my last post! Yay for me! I have been busy making cards. I am hoping some will sell locally at the pet store and I'm making a set for the wild bird store here. (Assuming they want to sell them for me!) Here are a couple of examples. One is Santa Paws, and of course Sam drew a Cotton (my bichonpoo baby) Santa. Sam whipped that drawing out in about 5 minutes. I can't imagaine being able to do that! The other I made with a pretty cardinal stamp by Inkadinkado. I drew nothing! Lucky for everyone! Wish me luck, while we are on the subject!

Have to also say that I have also been experimenting with making paper backgrounds using the shaving cream technique. Don't know the shaving cream technique. Well, it's kinda like being in 1st grade. You take shaving cream (cheap kind is good) and squirt it into a baking dish. You need something with sides so the shaving cream will stay put. So no cookie sheets. Then you take bottles of re-inkers (I used Tim Holtz' Adirondack alchohol ink and his distress inks). You pick about 3 0r 4 colors you love and think will look good together, and make random drops onto the shaving cream, which you have smoothed down with a spatula. Then I took a fork and swirled the ink into some random pattern. The you take the paper and push it straight down into the shaving cream. Pull it STRAIGHT up. If your paper is 12 x 12, you will have to do the other side then. Make sure the whole sheet is totally covered. Let it sit for a while - about 20-30 minutes. Then take paper towels and BLOT (don't rub) all the shaving cream off. You will be left with cool patterns. Here are some examples!

Now I can cut out pieces for card backgrounds or to use on layouts. Cool, huh?

You know what I want? I want to have one of those blogs that has challenges and (or) does give-aways. I guess that need to wait until I have a "following"! Maybe that helps you get a following! Whatever the case, here is the link to a cool blog by Chrysti who is giving stuff away for 29 days! Have a look at http://chrysti.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/29-days-of-giveaways-for-you/ which is the link to Art by Chrysti! Comment there and win all kinds of goodies!

Also, be sure and go to the Attic! Jeri is getting some cool new stuff in the store, and the DT is NOW voting on the winner of the Christmas Card Contest! You have to go see all the awesome cards, and by tomorrow (maybe today), we should have our winners. Jeri is giving 1st place a $50 GC to the store, 2nd place gets one for $30, and 3rd place gets one for $20! How awsome is that. Have a look at http://www.memoriesfromtheattic.info/portal.php! Well, speaking of that, I better go vote!

Happy Thanksgiving! Catching Up Again!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and actually took the time to think of all we have to be thankful for! I do tend to get bummed out about my fibrogarbage, but I am blessed to be able to still have insurance that pays for my docs and my meds and and and....That could go on forever! I am also blessed to have such a wonderful family and friends, and for our awesome God who loves us and provides for us! Speaking of providing, I got some teeny extra provision this past week at my ETSY store. well, not just MY ETSY store. it actually belongs to Sam and me. So we sold two sets of flowers that I made using my Sizzix machine and pp with Christmas colors. They turned out so cute, and I decided that they would make cute ornaments, so I added ribbon to some. I posted 2 sets in the

store and both sold! Yay!! The pic to the right had green brads (or green with white dots I added). As you can see from the single one, I made some using red brads.

My other ETSY sale was a little altered clothespin I made. I used it as a holder for a cardstock piece with a 2009 calendar on one side and a "yellow sticky" mini note pad holder on the other.

I am definitely making some more, also taking custom orders. I think they would make teacher gifts etc. I am sure my ETSY url is on here somewhere (I hope!!) but if not www.dreamersboutique.etsy.com is the link. Please have a look!

I am totally busy right now at The Attic (www.memoriesfromtheattic.info) working on our Christmas Card Contest. You have never seen so many gorgeous cards. Right now, we are voting on Week 3 of Phase 1 of the contest. After this, the winners all go into Phase 2, where each participant makes 4 more cards and we (the DT) votes on the Grand Prize Winner. That talented artist will win a wonderful prize from Jeri. I don't even know what it is yet! Ya'll need to check out the Attic to watch the contest, plus Melissa, Jaime and others have all kinds of challenges and games cooked up for December. Our ATC swap is still going strong, also. I love the swaps. I found another one I may participate in. I will have to show you what I make.

Well, I haven't caught up as much as I wanted, but maybe if I can do this again tomorrow, I can actually keep caught up this time. Sounds like a new years resolution to me!