The 12 Kits of Christmas: September 2012

Time for the 12 Kits of Christmas! This month was put together by Kara. If you have just stumbled across this post and are curious how it started, check out my first post in January, here, which explains it all. Check out all the cool stuff she sent:

I especially loved that Kara also sent us a 3D item... a holiday planning notebook to decorate! Here is what I was able to create with this awesome kit:

So I screwed up the cover template that Kara sent, so the brad at the top right just lets the cover slide over the top of the note pad to make your lists and check them twice ;) I was happily surprised that the Crop-a-dile cut through the cardstock and the entire notepad with ease! (the brad goes all the way through). This was really fun to have in the kit!

And of course, a group shot!

For the last few months we've also had a fun new addition, a CASE from one of the other months. I chose to case this card from Suzanne that was from last month's kit:

And here is my card:

My favorites this month are the two bird cards which is funny because at first I didn't like the birds! But they definitely grew on me, they are really fun with those little party hats on :) What do you think?

Here are the supplies that Kara sent along:

My Mind's Eye, All is Bright: Stamps, 6x6 patterned paper, Decorative brads, Twine, and faceted Rhinestones

PTI: Cardstock, Stamps, Dies, Builders, Ink, Notepad, felt, Ribbon, Buttons

Okay, now that you've made it this far, I know you want to see what the other girls have created, I know I do! So go ahead and start hoppin'! Oh and P.S. Next month is my kit! I have a feeling you may be seeing some Paper Smooches take over our 12 Kits group ;)

Cathy: Empty Nest Crafter

Joyce: Cards-by-the-Sea

Kim: Cupcakes Cards and Kim

Amy: Stamp-n-Paradise

Kara: K and R Designs

Sharron: On Papillion Wings

Marybeth: Marybeth's Time for Paper

Jeanne: A Kept Life

Jessica: The Paper Parade

Christina: Sea Glass & Sentiments

Renee: It's A Patchwork Life

Suzanne: The Card Yard

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop Sept. 2012

I can't believe I almost forgot about the blog hop! Thank goodness I saw Joyce post about it and I had enough time to play along tonight. So this month's theme was packaging. I had some apple butter I made after our apple picking trip a couple of weekends back, so I decided to dress up the jar for my packaging project. The fabric I had stashed away, then I tied the Canyon Clay ribbon knowing I wanted to go for a fall look. I used my Trendy Tree Tops for the first time! (Jen, I know you'll be proud!) and my Houndstooth, which I contemplated selling, but am not glad I didn't! The sentiment is from one of PTI's tiny tags sets. The tag die is PTI and the felt in the rolled flower is, too. The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye, and the ink is from SU. The felt flower itself is from the set of flowers that Gerry made me for my birthday :) Now off to check out what everyone else made for the blog hop!

Lawnscaping Challenge #42: Getting Texty

I pulled out one of my two Lawn Fawn sets to play along with this week's challenge, using text on your card. So I used text in the patterned paper (the newsprint, and even in the dots there is text!) and then with the PTI letter dies to make "meow." Because of the colors in the My Mind's Eye paper, I decided to make my tree a fall one...we are starting to see real fall foliage up here and I love it!

So as I said above the stamps are from Lawn Fawn, papers from My Mind's Eye, cardstock from PTI, and dies, and the twine is from the Twinery. The pearls are from Q & Co. Hopefully your week has been off to a great start so far!

Paper Smooches Sparks: Picture Perfect Sept. 2012

Notice anything new...like brand new Paper Smooches stamps that haven't even been revealed on the blog yet?! Oh yes! These adorable little guys are from a brand new set coming out in October called "Chilly Chums". I get to receive it early because I'm in the Paper Smooches Club..whoo hoo! (oh by the way, Kim gave the go ahead to showcase them on the blog!) I'm using these adorable stamps for this week's Paper Smooches Sparks challenge. We were given this photo to work with:

So I took the colors of the photo and the frame from the mirror into the most consideration for my card. My "mirror" is actually the frame from PTI's Simply Jane. The neat patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye. The ribbon is from Amuse, the cardstock is PTI, and the label punch is from SU.

Retro Sketches #30

I'm getting a head start on my Halloween cards...can you tell?? ;) Here I used my two Paper Smooches Halloween sets. The eyes are from "Spookalicious" the spider, sentiment, and spiderweb are from "Halloweenies." When I first saw the eyes in the set, I knew I wanted to emboss them on a black base to make it look like spooky eyes were watching you from the night sky. So that's what I did...and I did it for this sketch:

The ribbon and card base are from Amuse. The cardstock is from PTI, and so is the double ended banner die. The twine is from the Twinery. This card was a fun one to make :)

I hope you had a great weekend! Mine was busy. I spent Saturday getting my kits for my hostess month of the 12 Kits of Christmas ready (and they're still not done, I'm waiting for the brand new PS Christmas sets that I should be getting maybe tomorrow, to add a few more goodies before I mail them out). Then Sunday I spent making a hat for my niece. She is having a Yo Gabba Gabba themed party for her 1st birthday in a couple of weeks. So I made her a fluffy orange hat that looks like the one the DJ wears in the show. I have one more thing to add to it then I'll post it for you all to see. Although it will look much cuter when you get to see her in it!

Freshly Made Sketches #53

Well, its been awhile since I've been able to play along with Freshly Made Sketches, but I had some time today, so I decided to give it a go. Here is the fun sketch provided this week:

I pulled out more of my Target washi tape to use for the strips in the background. The adorable witch, sentiment, and spider are from the Paper Smooches set "Halloweenies" that my mom surprised me with as an October surprise (a week early ;) Thanks so much mom, I love it! The patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye, the cardstock from PTI, and the twine from the Twinery. Both circle punches and the label punch are from SU.

You all know how much I like Paper Smooches, well now I like them even more! Their customer service is amazing. I went to stamp the vampire image from "Spookalicious" for the first time tonight. But it didn't all come out...I looked at the stamp and realized that part of the image lines were missing in the acrylic. Well, I took some pictures and wrote Kim to let her know. Well, she responded in less than an hour! And this is on a SUNDAY!! She apologized and let me know that she already had a new vampire in an envelope ready to send me tomorrow! Now THAT is what I call customer service! Just reaffirms why Paper Smooches is my favorite company :) If you don't have any of their stamps, I highly recommend them!

Paper Smooches Sparks Cool Shades: September 2012

My second favorite challenge of the week...Paper Smooches Sparks! Here are the colors we were given for this week's challenge:

The adorable Mytroska is from the Paper Smooches "FOLKalpoints" set, the sentiment is from the "Sugar Rush" set. It all started with me wanting to use that "Sweetie Pie" patterned paper (I think it was from October Afternoon, or Crate Paper, but unfortunately I cut off the little tag on the end that told where it was from awhile ago and lost it!). The big scallop border is from PTI, the washi tape from Target, the twine from the Twinery, the pearls from Recollections, the cardstock and yellow striped paper are from PTI, and the punch was from SU. Because I've been making a lot of CAS cards lately, this one seems kind of busy....haha maybe I'm starting to like CAS more than I thought ;)

Retro Sketches #29

My weekly entry to Retro Sketches...My favorite challenge (well that and the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge, of course :) I used my "Spookalicious" Paper Smooches set to create these three different pumpkin personalities. Here is the sketch I used:

The patterned paper I used is from My Mind's Eye (I just love that Michaels carries their 6x6 pads now...and I can use a coupon!) The cardstock and Take 3 die I used are from PTI. The twine is from the Twinery. 

Oh and in case you didn't think you see enough Paper Smooches on my blog...get ready for even more! I joined the PS Club! I will now get every set released on the first of the month for a year! 3 sets a month, and I get to see them before she even shows peeks on the blog! So I've already seen the sets coming out on Oct. first and let me tell you, they are adorable (I am not surprised in the slightest!) I am over the moon to have joined this club, I don't know why I didn't before. Thanks, Amy, for the enabling suggestion! ;)

Waltzingmouse Blog Party Sept. 2012- "I'm Falling For You"

I finally own my very own Waltzingmouse stamp set, so I'm playing along with this month's Waltzingmouse Blog Party with a theme of "I'm falling for you." Since I only have one set to choose from, I made my little guy drive a fallish colored car in front of fall foliage!

How exciting, my first ever blog party! And I'm sure it will not be my last, but bear with me for using the same stamps again next month, hehehe. So the polaroid die, the cardstock, patterned paper, in the meadow die, and banner die are all from PTI. The twine is from the Twinery. The green pearls are from Q&Co. Happy Monday!

Young Crafters Unite #13

I've had Young Crafters Unite in my menu bar for quite some time now, but I've never gotten around to playing. When I saw that I still had some time left for this challenge, I decided to make a quick card to link up before the close. This month's challenge was hot trends, so I used washi tape.

This card was inspired by a card that Nichole Heady made during this month's PTI release. She used patterned paper in different colors for the strips. When I saw it, I knew right away I wanted to try it with all the target washi tape I have. So the above is what I came up with. The die is the PTI Christmas Label die, the bird and sentiment are both from Paper Smooches. The mini library clip is from Stampin' Up. Sorry for two posts in one day, but I want to get this card up before the inlinkz closes :)

Paper Smooches Sparks Designer Drafts: September 2012 & CFC: #70

Here is my weekly addition to the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge, this week a sketch! Sketches are already my favorite. I used two PS sets on this card, the trees are from Autumn Grooves and everything else is from Spookalicious. I looked through all my PS sets to find a bow I could use for my ghost, but there was nothing that would work, so I just made my own. Here is the sketch I used:

I'm also entering this card into this week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge which was to use black and white and one other color.

So I used orange for this fun and cutesy Halloween card :) I heat embossed the trees with white embossing power. At first I couldn't find my embossing buddy, and it came out terribly! Next I hunted it down and my what a difference it made! If you don't have one, you should definitely get one. The ribbon is from PTI. You have plenty of time to play along with the CAS-ual Fridays challenge, so go on over and check it out! Sparks is due tomorrow, though, sorry!

Paper Smooches: Operation Write Home's Birthday Sketch Challenge

It's Operation Write Home's Birthday and Kim over at Paper Smooches is helping them celebrate by hosting a challenge! I made the above card for this sketch:

The newsprint background is from PTI, the sentiment and cool chemistry guy are from the Paper Smooches "Great Chemistry" set. The cardstock and ribbon are from PTI, and so is the scallop die. She asked you to make a card with a certain theme. The inside of my card says "its your birthday!" to go along with the birthday theme.

What are your plans for this weekend? I've been going through my crafty stash and I've picked a bunch of old stuff that I wanted to get rid of. I signed up for a table at my local stamp store for a yard sale they're having on Sunday. I am going to sell all my SU inks, a bunch of stamps, SU markers, embellishments, etc. I'm hoping to get enough money to buy all the new formula inks! And of course some more Paper Smooches :)

Retro Sketches #28

This past Saturday we went apple picking with a couple of our friends. We spent hours there, this place was huge! We took a hayride to 3 different orchards. I picked all Honey Crisp since they're my favorite, though :) Then on Sunday I spent all day in the kitchen canning. I made apple salsa, apple butter, and then apple pie (not canned). I've tried it all now, and the only thing was that the salsa was not liquidy enough. Anyway, I wanted to give them a little thank you note to let them know we had a great time. I used this week's Retro Sketches sketch:

I used Paper Smooches "Autumn Grooves" to create the little tree. I used the Amuse woodgrain paper for the trunk, and in a different color for the card base. The gingham paper is from Lilly Bee Designs, and the ribbon from SU. 

On another note, I'm still learning a lot about photos. Last night I think I figured out how to do the white balance, and I definitely think it made a difference. I also think I figured out how to keep the pictures larger rather than the one yesterday I was having a problem with. Hope you're having a great week so far!

Cloud Wplus9 Blog Hop

For some reason, I can't get this pic any bigger. Suzanne is coming over tomorrow, though, so I may have to pick her brain! Anyway, here is my card for this month's Wplus9 blog hop. I actually used my own Wplus9 stamp set this time! Here is the inspiration photo that we were given to work with:

The tree is from My Favorite Things, the "hills" from PTI. The twine is from The Twinery, the cardstock PTI. The label punch from SU. There is a new challenge every month, so grab your wplus9 stamps and play along for a chance to win!

Happy Birthday, Kara!

Today is the birthday of one of my crafty friends from my 12 Kits of Christmas group, Kara! Kim put together a fun blog hop for her to celebrate today, so of course I wanted to be involved! :) I made this card with Paper Smooches, a brand new set called "Jive Turkey." I love this little chief, and the sentiment that goes along with him! Inside it says "celebrate." The card base is made from Amuse paper, the ribbon and Mat stack are PTI. I used some of my new inks for the sentiment and Copics to color the chief.

Kara, I hope your day was awesome! If this card hasn't made it to you yet, its on its way :) Now go spend money on crafty stuff and eat some cake :)

Let's go on over a check out the other girl's blogs for the cards that they made for Kara. 

Joyce -  http://cards-by-the-sea.blogspot.com/

Cathy - http://emptynestcrafter.blogspot.com/

Tracey - http://inmycreativeopinion.blogspot.com/

Jeanne - http://akeptlife.blogspot.com/

Marybeth - http://marybethstimeforpaper.blogspot.com/

Me! – http://thepaperparade.blogspot.com/

Sharron - http://onpapillonwings.blogspot.com/

Kim - http://cupcakescardsandkim.blogspot.com/

CASual Fridays #69

Edited to add my new and improved photo! I figured out how to edit the background from my Canon to make it look white! I am very happy with how the photo turned out :)

One of my friends suddenly lost her cat last week. One day she was fine, the next she was acting strange, so my friend took her to the vet, and she had a heart attack :( I know how much my pets mean to me, so I know how terribly she must be feeling. I made this card for her using this week's CASual Fridays challenge which is to use embossing.

I know I've been talking about it a lot, so here it finally is...my new light box! I made it out of white foam board taped together with painter's tape. The 3 lights on the top are 120 watt daylight flood lights that are clipped to the foam board. I can't believe how bright it makes the card! That was my first step. Next I need to learn how to use the Canon Rebel 300 that my mom gave me when she upgraded. Anyone have one and have any tips? The above photo is still on my phone because I couldn't get the one from the camera to look white enough. Anyway, you will be seeing more changes in my photos in the coming weeks. Any advice is always appreciated! Here's a pic of my new box in action:

Here is a funny story...I just went to get those lights from Home Depot, and that is it. Well, when I got home and Phillip saw what they were he was like that cashier must have thought you were going to grow marijuana, because those are the lights they use! I was like oh my gosh, how embarrassing! But then I thought I was "saved" because I went through the self checkout...and he's like "I bet everyone who buys those goes through self checkout." LOL!

So anyway, I used an older SU set on my card. The doily is from PTI, the patterned paper from My Mind's Eye. The embossing folder is from SU, and the twine from the Twinery. The little label punch is also from SU.

Retro Sketches #27

Here is a back to school card that I created using this week's Retro Sketches challenge:

Here is the sketch:

I flipped the sketch upside down. All of these cute little images are from Paper Smooches, of course :)

The mini library clip is from SU, the cardstock is PTI, the twine is from the Twinery. I can't remember where the paper is from...I got one sheet of it in the clearance bin at a local stamp store awhile ago.

Thank you all so much for your comments on light boxes. I went over to Suzanne's tonight and she showed me her's. After that and all your comments I have decided to try making my own this weekend. So hopefully soon you will be seeing some great pics of my cards! It will be gradual as I know I have a lot to learn with photo editing, too, but I think just the box alone will make a big difference.

Paper Smooches Sparks Trend Watch: September 2012

Saturday is my good friend, Jen's birthday! Tonight at our weekly craft night, Suzanne and I surprised her with a cake, and of course crafty presents! A corner chomper and a mini score pal are now part of her crafty stash (both tools she admired of ours at our weekly "craft-a-poolazas"). And of course she had to have a card. As you know from an earlier post, she loves white card bases, so that's what I started with.

This card is for this week's Paper Smooches Sparks challenge which is to make a retro themed card.

Well, I for some reason thought of Andy Warhol and his Campbell's soup cans. So I went online searching for this pic as my inspiration for the card:

It is hard to tell, but I stamped the chair from "Vogue Abode" in different Encore ink colors (I didn't have the right embossing powder or I would have done that since the plain SU inks were not standing out enough on the colored cardstock).

I used "Alphadot" to create the "MOD" sentiment. The wishes...I think that one was from "Party Possee". After writing mod, though, I realized that it looks a lot like M.O.D. which is what we use at work for Manager On Duty...but since Jen is a teacher, and I don't think has MOD shifts, she'll see it as "mod" ;)

The washi tape is from Target.

I've been very disappointed in my pics lately. I'm really considering buying a photo light box. Any advice? I need something that I can leave out in my craft room and since I can't close the door (there is no door) I need it to look nice enough to leave out. I know some people make theirs? I have seen that they cost about $30 on Amazon. Anyway, I'm ready to have nicer pics. I guess I need to stop using my iPhone to take them too...I just love the feature where you can email right from your phone to your blog!

Thanks for stopping by :)