A Melon Thanks

Here is a sneak peek of my card for the latest Paper Dolls challenge.

Please head on over to the Paper Dolls to see more.

If you are looking for my 12 Kits of Christmas post, please click here.

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The 12 Kits of Christmas: April 2012

It's the end of April, and time for our April 12 Kits of Christmas post.  There are 12 of us who take turns sending surprise packages of holiday card making supplies to each other every month.  To read more about this group, please see my January post here.  This month, our host was Marybeth of Marybeth's Time for Paper, and she sent us a package chock full of holiday goodness.

 

Photo Courtesy of Kara

 

I was able to make 3 cards, and have so many leftovers to continue to use throughout the year.  

I think this last card is my favorite.  I was so happy to see this Country Landscape die cut in the package, because it is a die I had been wanting all last season.  After I finally got the die, I promptly put it away and forgot about it.  Of course, it was the first thing I nabbed to work with out of Marybeth's wonderful kit.

 

I can't wait to see what everyone else has done with their kits.  Here is a list of the other members of the 12 Kits of Christmas.

 

Renee of It's a Patchwork Life

Cathy of Empty Nest Crafter 

Suzanne of The Card Yard

Marybeth of Marybeth's Time for Paper

Joyce of Cards-by-the-Sea (that's me!)

Amy of Stamp-n-Paradise

Christina of Sea Glass and Sentiments

Kim of Cupcakes, Cards and Kim

Kara of KandR Designs

Jessica of The Paper Parade

Jeanne of A Kept Life

Sharron of On Papillon Wings

 

 

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Hey There

I never even put the glitter away after making these cards.  I had another idea for MIM#63:  Glittered Die Cuts, inspired by this beautiful card by Deanna of Kloset Creations.  

I used some very simple masking to stamp one of the images from Hello Friend down the side of my card using Lemon Tart, Harvest Gold, Orange Zest, Pure Poppy (which got covered in glitter), and Summer Sunrise.  I have to say I am so excited to have PTI inks in so many colors.  Then, I fussy cut the edge along the curves of the flowers.  I used some red glitter from Martha Stewart and PeelnStick double sided adhesive sheets to cover the Hello Friend flower die cut.

Supplies Used (PTI):
Stamps:  Hello Friend
Paper:  White, Summer Sunrise, Pure Poppy
Other:  Hello Friend Die, Orange Zest Button, Twine, MS Glitter

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Glitter Love

This is my second post today.  For my Papertrey April Blog Hop post, please click here.

I am squeaking in under the wire with two cards for this week's CAS-ual Fridays CFC49 challenge.  I just couldn't let such a fabulous sketch get away without trying it.  I had a couple of ideas come to me this morning in spin class, and had a chance to try one of them.  I am also using the glitter die cut technique shown in this week's Make it Monday #63.

Hawaiian Shores

Hibiscus Burst

I made two cards to try out two slightly different layouts.   I will leave these cards for each of my daughters on my next trip away.  The video suggests using a Xyron machine to adhere the glitter.  Mine is too small for these hearts, so I used some PeelnStick double sided adhesive sheets I found in my stash.  I'm pretty sure I got it at Michaels a while back.


Supplies Used (PTI):
Stamps:  Heart Prints, Mixed Messages (Hawaiian Shores), Heart Prints, Paper Smooches Pretty Phrases (Hibiscus Burst)
Paper:  White, Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush
Other:  Heart Prints Die, MS Glitter

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Papertrey April 2012 Blog Hop

The 25th just kind of crept up on me this month, but I managed to created a card for this month's Papertrey Ink blog hop just in time.  I guess that is what happens when you are gone for half the month.  Since time was short, I went with the first idea that popped into my head when I saw this beautiful inspiration photo. 

When I looked at the photo, I saw pieces of folded patterned fabric in Aqua Mist and Raspberry Fizz.  I immediately thought of Bitty Background Blocks, and so created a very simple Mother's Day card. 

Supplies Used (PTI):
Stamps:  Bitty Background Blocks, Fillable Frames, WM Musical Backgrounds
Paper:  White, Raspberry Fizz pattern, Aqua Mist pattern
Other:  Dies:  Button, Fillable Frame, Double Ended Banner, MFT Rolled Roses, PTI Felt

  
On another topic....

Lucky me--I was able to meet one of my sweet blogging friends on my trip to San Jose last weekend to visit my mom in the hospital.  Kim of Cupcakes, Cards & Kim was sweet enough to drive across the bay to meet me, and we had dinner together and would have talked all night if we hadn't realized that it was 10:00, and time to get home.  I feel so fortunate that I have now met 3 of my online friends in person, and am happy to report that they are all as wonderful in person as they are online.

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Waltzingmouse April 2012 Blog Party

Have you ever been surprised by a stamp set?  I bought  French Country a few weeks ago solely on the basis of the beautiful border stamp.  However, since I have received that set in the mail, I have done nothing but stamp roosters.  I never even noticed the roosters when I ordered the set, and now, I can't seem to get enough of them.  Has that ever happened to you?

I've got a super simple card featuring this naughty rooster for this month's Waltzingmouse Blog Party.  The theme this month is "New Beginnings", and I immediately thought of the saying "Today is the first day of the rest of your life"  So, today's card celebrates the start of another great day.

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  WM French Country, Chicken Wire

Paper:  PTI White, Pure Poppy

Ink:  PTI Pure Poppy, Versafine Onyx Black

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Four of a Kind #8

Imagine going to your mailbox every month and receiving a surprise package of crafting goodies from a dear friend.  Well, that's what Four of a Kind is all about.   Click here to see  more details about our Four of a Kind group.  I had such fun hosting last month, but now, this month I am on the receiving end of Renee's creativity and generosity. 

Renee sent us the cutest package of Waltzingmouse French Country goodness.  And, she picked the perfect color scheme for these ingredients, if you ask me.

I made four cards, and still have lots of leftovers.

Aren't those roosters just the best?

I won't keep you long.  Please head over to the other members of our Four of a Kind group to see what they have created.  That is one of my favorite parts of our little group--the BIG reveal.

Cathy Weber:  Empty Nest Crafter

Kim Heggins:  Cupcakes, Cards and Kim

Renee Lynch:  It's a Patchwork Life

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Make it Monday and Vacation Pics

I have a card for this week's Make it Monday #61, Creating Flowers with Leaf Dies.  After I made my first 'object' with the leaf dies from Autumn Acorns (I can't even call it a flower), I took a different approach.  I dug through my dies, and decided to make a flower with the Filigree Border Die.  

I cut a filigree border and then snipped some of the filigrees off, gluing them down onto a 1 inch circle.  I used a home made polymer clay button as my center.  I must say that, while this is an interesting technique, I think I'll probably stick to the flower dies in the future.  I have so many of them, and I think they all make better flowers than this.  Anyhow, I think one of my mother-in-law's will still appreciate getting this card next month.

Supplies Used:  (PTI):
Stamps:  Love & Marriage, Fillable Frames
Paper:  White, Sweet Blush, Raspberry Fizz
Other:  Filigree Border Die, Edgers #5 die, Heart Border Die, polymer clay


 
On another topic....

I've got a few vacation pictures to share today.  My daughters literally took hundreds of photos, but I thought I would post just a few.  We spent a week in Rome and 3 days in Venice.  It truly was the trip of a lifetime.  We had almost perfect weather, and walked for miles and miles every day.  When we weren't walking, we were eating, as DH spent months planning where we would have all of our meals. 

The Colosseum

The Forum

Rachel (14) and Sarah (12) at the Forum

Our favorite breakfast haunt in Rome

Venice

The Grand Canal

Our last night--and the only time they agreed to a group photo

CIAO

&

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Welcome Home

I am back after what seems like forever.  I had a wonderful spring break vacation with my family, eating and walking our way through Rome and Venice.  I hope to have a couple of pictures to post before too long.

It's hard to come back to crafting after a couple of week's absence, and there was a moment or two when I thought I had left my mojo in Italy.  But this morning's ColourQ #132 and this card I saw from my friend Gayatri were just what I needed to get going.  I used my new Waltzingmouse French Country set to make a card that I hope I will be needing one of these days--a Welcome Home card to send to my mom when she finally returns home after months in the hospital.  Nothing in sight just yet, but now I am prepared.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  WM French Country, PTI Wreath for All Seasons
Paper:  PTI White, Simply Chartreuse
Ink:  PTI Simply Chartreuse, Canyon Clay, Pure Poppy, Memento Tuxedo Black
Other:  Sizzix tag die, twine

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