Sunday, January 31, 2010

Birthday Card

This weekend I've been busy working on wedding invites for an April 2010 wedding (pictures will be posted in a future blog post. I've also been reorganizing my scrapbook room and adding more storage to it.

This saturday Pat and I went out to mongolian BBQ in Naperville for one of my friends birthday dinners. This is one of my favorite restaurants to go to since you make your own food, it can be different every time you go up to the food stations :)

Here is a picture of the birthday card I made my friend Maria
Front View:


Side View:


Inside view:


For the card I used the following materials:
Green textured paper (the paper studio)
Happy Birthday patterned paper (DCWV) I inked the edges with the ink listed below.
Ribbon I got from Michaels a while ago
Fake flowers (pulled apart from a flower stem)
Prima flower
Small brad,button and thread for the flower center
Glue dots and lines to attach flower and ribbon
Green and purple stickles for the dots on the front of the card
The inside I used a birthday rubber stamp and pine needle distress ink from Tim Holtz
Off white plain cardstock
I rounded the corners with a rounding corner punch

Happy Scrapping :)

Thursday, January 28, 2010

I'm Dreaming....of Copic Markers!

I normally don't remember my dreams and often think I simply don't have them when I sleep. On occasion I will remember parts of a dream-but this is rare.

Last night I actually had a dream about Copic Markers! I don't remember how it started, but I was in a store--and not a craft/art store. It was more like a Marshalls or it may have been a thrift store and you have to rumage through everything to find the item you want.

I was walking through the isles and a large box of Copic Markers--I'm sure it was their entire collection sitting in a clear storage box waiting to find a new home-at least thats what the picture on the cardboard box displayed. For some reason I can't just skip over to that isle and I am getting frustrated. All of a sudden the floors change and everyone is "gliding" through the isles no more walking--kind of like a conveyor belt on the floor that takes you through the store and you grab what you want when you pass it and there is no going back once you have passed the item/isle.

I see several people touch the marker box and I get annoyed that I am going to miss my chance on snagging them...but to my surprise no one picks it up. As I get closer to the copic markers I get excited until I reach the box...

The box is empty--no markers --just their clear storage case...the markers are supposed to be there but they are missing/stolen...and I see someone ahead of me in a different isle with markers stuffed in their pockets--like they are stealing them...but I can't move forward to get to them...and then I wake up!

WEIRD!!!! I've been wanting a copic marker set but I have to save up to get them...and also they are not available in sets in my local stores, just the individual markers...I just think its weird that I had a dream about markers!!

Happy Scrapping :)

Monday, January 18, 2010

Cricut Design Studio

I purchased my cricut design studio last year at a scrapbook convention. Its supposed to allow you to mix your cartridges and weld letters/images together and instruct the cricut to cut it all out as one piece.

I have heard that others use it to cut out all the elements of one die cut at once by arranging the different papers on the mat. This last I think would be a time saver since you wouldn't have to reload the machine each time and you would get all the pieces in the colors you want in one shot.

One can also make those intricate cardstock pages that look like lace-flowers, borders with text welded together etc...I don't have the expression so my size would be limited but I think would still work as borders and backgrounds.

Sadly I have not had a chance to try these fun techniques out yet! Part of the reason why I think is because its done with the aid of your computer. Some days when I get home from work I want nothing to do with the computer and stay far away from it. Others my husband takes over the laptop and I never get a chance to use it.

I've been feeling a creative bug nipping away at me recently and I think I will take a stab at playing with the design studio. I am limited in the type of cartridges I have but it should be fine.

There are other cutting programs that are compatable with the cricut that allow you to cut images/text without the need of a cartridge--I may try my hands on that in the future. For now I am sticking with my design studio.

Happy Scrapping :)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Birthday Card Pictures...

As promised here are the pictures of the Birthday Card...

I decided to create a trifold shutter card in a birthday theme. I'd love to take credit for the original card design but no its not mine...I followed a great tutorial that can be found here:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/trishuttercard/

Here is my final creation:

This is the view of the card when its all closed up:



This is what the card looks like when its all opened up:



And this is a view of the back of the card:



I used Textured Bling Bazzill cardstock and patterend paper. I used my cricut to make the cupcake and used brads for the sprinkles.

Happy Scrapping :)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

1st Birthday Card for 2010

I started making cards a few years ago and now very rarely will I purchase a store bought card. I think a handmade card-no matter how simple or complex in design-has something special to it. I know that taking time out on any card even a store bought card is appreciated, I just love the handmade kind :)

I love making birthday cards and trying out new techniques and styles. I have one due for this weekend and I am excited to get started on it. I have several style ideas runing through my mind--should it be a tri-shutter folded card, elongated folded card, should it be a circle? What colors will I use, and embelishments...this will depend on what I have left in my birthday paper stash--I really need to stock up on some more cute papers for this theme!

Not sure where I am going to go with it yet--have to get in my scrapbook room and get inspired. May just do that tonight after work...

I will post pictures of the card sunday--don't want to ruin any surprises before then :)

Happy Scrapping :)

Friday, January 8, 2010

Weddings, and puppies keeping me busy...

So the new year so far has kept me busy around the house. Ava went in for her Spay surgery yesturday and is recovering well--I hope I don't have to get her a cone but I have a feeling I should pick one up in case!! Lady will probably be going in for her eye and spay surgery in a few weeks--I don't want to have to take care of 2 dogs with surgeries at the same time--spacing them out will be easier.

Everyone who wished for snow--we finally have it!! The roads are a bit slippery but not too bad around us...some other areas are very scary to drive through-slipping and sliding is not always fun!




I am about to start another wedding invitation order-this time they are pocketfold style for an April 2010 wedding. I am excited to make these and add them to my wedding invitation portfolio! I need to take some more time out and just make up different samples of invitations...the computer design part takes me a lot longer than it should, but I am learning and will become faster over time. Once I get permission I will post pictures of the pocketfolds on here.

In the mean time here are pictures of a wedding invitation, program and escort card I made for a November 2009 wedding last year...they were a great hit!
The Invititations:


Wedding Programs: Front and Back



Placecards:


Here is the wedding card I made for the happy couple as well:


Happy Scrapping :)

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year: 2010 is finally here :)

So 2009 quickly came to a close--it was a good year filled with both ups and downs, but most importantly with memories to cherish forever...

We finished 2009 at home with the snow and a few close friends--pictures will be posted soon as will our christmas pictures from Texas :)

I always try to do a list of things I want to accomplish in the new year--I don't like to call them resolutions since those always get broken so here is my list for 2010:

*To become closer to nature-I want to start taking more hikes/walks in my area and exploring what is around me--there are several forest preserves/and a state park that I have yet to visit that are anywhere from 5-15 minutes away-time to get started!

*Taking care of my family-and my lil' zoo, just improving their lives in anyway that I can to make them happy and feel loved-maybe the pups can help me explore the world around us on little walks to start

*To put a dent in my personal scrapbooking that has seriously started to slack and build up over the years-I have my room finally so no more excuses!

*To participate in at least 2 craft shows this year and also add a lot more stuff in my etsy shop!

*To be the best wife to my husband, and a great friend to those that I encounter and that stay in my life--I am very grateful for who is in my life and I love you all.

This year I will be participating in a photo project--where you take a picture for everyday of the year and share it on a blog. You can follow me and others as we express ourselves over the year in photos here:

amandarey365.blogspot.com I can never get the link to work but its also a blog that I am following...

I will be posting under Creative Scraps Adventures, and will post pictures on a weekly basis. I hope this will help and improve my photography skills as well as a way to inspire, enjoy, and see the year through other peoples eyes.


Happy Scrapping :)