Day 305: Day of Gratitude Thanksgiving Card Version 2

I have been making Thanksgiving cards using the Day of Gratitude stamp set and coordinating designer paper from Stampin' Up! and using a technique I learned on Meg Loven's blog. I was able to get three more cards made today in between all the other busy-ness of Halloween! A few subtle variations in the colors on the flower image today.  And how cool that I left the felt sitting on my desk overnight and was still able to use it today!

Day 304: Day of Gratitude Thanksgiving Card Version 1

I was googling ideas for using the flower image from the Day of Gratitude stamp set and the matching designer paper by Stampin' Up!, and came upon Meg Loven's September 8, 2010  blog post.  She described how to make custom felt pads using a piece of regular felt, an absorbent tile, and re-inkers. I thought it was such a neat technique, I decided to try it, and this is the result:

Day 303: One Moment in Time Gears Card Part 2

I punched gears and circles out of brushed silver card stock by Stampin' Up! I used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig and rich cocoa Memento ink to stamp the pocket watch (Rubber Stampede) and the verse (Repeat Impressions) onto the silver card . I ran everything through the Xyron machine, then attached  the pieces to the front of my card.  The inside verse I wrote says:  Your birthday only comes once a year, so Celebrate!

Day 302: One Moment in Time Gears Card Part 1

I need some men's cards for upcoming birthdays.  I started out with intentions of making an entirely different card, but when I was looking for an embossing folder to use as a background, I came upon this Tim Holtz gears embossing folder, and changed my mind completely!  I used kraft cardstock by Recollections (Michael's), ran it through my Sizzix Big Shot machine, then used a Ranger silver paint dauber and  Ranger chocolate distress ink to highlight the embossed areas.  I got enough backgrounds done to make 8 embossed card bases, but will need to finish working on these tomorrow.

Day 301: Free Star Embellishments!

Today I punched out 50 small stars from the foil waste from my Botanicals 3-D kit (see Day).  Nothing like free embellishments!

Day 296: Circles for Bingo from Scrap Papers

Tonight I punched out approximately 1000 circles from scrap papers with my one inch circle punch from EK Success.  The circles are to be used  as markers when we play bingo at our church's Happy Birthday Jesus Party.  Since very small children will be playing, I thought paper circles would be safer than bingo chips.

Day 295: Daisy D's Kits

I have a little space I keep at a local craft and antiques shop and I need to make up some kits of Daisy D's papers to sell.  I spent the evening cutting samples from each of the paper and figuring out the papers that will go in each kit.

Day 294: Jesus is the Reason Card

I needed to make a quick card to enclose with an early Christmas present for my parents.  I chose to use this stamp from Paper Inspirations as the main sentiment.  I stamped it on craft card stock (Recollections by Michael's) in red StazOn ink, added some paper with the names of Jesus on it (Hobby Lobby), and added a burgundy ribbon from my stash.  A quick but meaningful card.

Day 293: Merry Christmas Train Card

Tonight I was looking to make a really quick card and use up some bits and pieces I had.  I cut a card base from Stampin' Up! card stock, and on top of it I layered a piece of upcycled clear packaging that I had embossed with the Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder, then I added a bit of Merry Christmas ribbon (Oriental Trading Company), and a train and snowflake from Jolee's.  Does this make a cute card or what?!

Day 292: Sorting and Organizing

My daughter wanted to make some extra money, so I told her she could help me organize my scrapbook paper.  I am a paper addict and buy it constantly! We worked for about an hour and got my room a lot more organized. We sorted by color, design, or occasion. I had tried sorting by themes like "girl", "boy", "vintage", etc., but then I often overlooked some papers because I didn't look in a certain category.  Hopefully this re-organization will lead to me using up more of my papers when I create cards and scrapbook pages. Thanks for all the help, my girl!

Day 291: Clear Die Cut Snowflakes

I really liked how the clear die cut snowflakes looked on my cards last night, so tonight I got into my stash of clear plastic I have saved from the kids' toy packaging and cut out a bunch more.  I used my Big Shot and snowflake die by Sizzix.

Day 290: Reindeer Frame Card

Tonight I was inspired by a Christmas card my Stampin' Up! representative had demo'd for my stamp club.  I die cut a frame from red Stampin' Up! card stock, embossed it in Cuttlebug's snowflake embossing folder,  adhered it to a craft card base (Recollections by Michael's), and then used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to stamp the reindeer inside of the frame. My representative used a felt snowflake from Stampin' Up! at one corner of the frame, but I added my own twist and also used a snowflake brad (Creative Impressions) and a clear die cut snowflake to add more depth and dimension to the card. Clear snowflake from Sizzix die, clear material re-purposed from packaging. I added a little bling by using pearlized white Smooch at the end of the reindeer's antlers and on the center of the white snowflake brad.

Day 289: Color Me Floral Card Topper Part 2

Today I mounted my colored floral card topper onto Stampin' Up! card stock, stamped the inner sentiment, and added the "love you lots" tag, which I colored with Copic markers.

Day 288: Color Me Floral Card Topper Part 1

I colored a card topper from Hot Off the Press with Copic markers tonight.  I will finish this card tomorrow.

Day 287: Bird Tile

Tonight I made a bird tile.  I purchased a box of tumbled tiles from my local hardware store so I can make coasters or decorative tiles. I applied the bird rub-on Decor Element from Stampin' Up!, and colored inside the blank areas of the rub-on with Copic markers.  When the ink appeared to be dry,  I peeled off the stencil, used a VersaMark stamp pad to create the blue-green background, and added some flowers from Prima and a few pearls from Jolee's.  I sprayed the tile with a matte acrylic finish by Mod Podge to prevent smearing or running.

Day 286: Last Minute Projects

Today I just finished up some last minute projects that needed tweaking.

Day 285: Japanese Girl Journal Completed

I made this journal using this pretty paper from My Little Shoe Box. The fan was in my stash.  I used Mod Podge to adhere all the papers and the fan to the  composition notebook.

Day 284: Japan Girl Journal Cover

Tonight I covered a composition journal in some pretty paper with a Japanese print. I will work on finishing it tomorrow.

Day 283: Copyright Signature Brush

Tonight I created a signature brush in Adobe Photoshop so that I can copyright my work.  Please know that I reserve all rights to any work shown or written about within this blog.  If you copy a photo that does not have my "Kim's Keepsakes" signature on it, please be kind enough to credit my work.  If you "scraplift" or are inspired by my works, even if you tweak it for your own uses, please note me as the source of your inspiration.  Thanks!

Day 282: Glamour Shots: Sugar and Spice Part 2

My daughter helped me decide how to embellish this page tonight.  I was showing her some crocheted flowers (Prima) I have been wanting to use, but I thought even though they were "soft" looking, they were almost too "heavy" for the page.  She noticed a gold heart that I had saved from a handbag (Relics), and suggested that I place it under one of the flowers to help the flower to look softer.  Those opposing soft and hard textures helped the flower to feel lighter, because that heavy gold heart grounds it. Last but not least, I added the beautiful stud and pearl swirl by Prima to the left side of the photo.

Day 281: Glamour Shots: Sugar and Spice Part 1

Tonight I decided what the title for this page should be: Sugar and Spice.  Again, I was trying to highlight the dichotomy between the studded leather jacket I am wearing with the feminine Graphic 45 papers I used for the background of this page. I used some lace (offray) at the top of the page for a soft effect, then used black rick rack (American Crafts) on top of that, again, those opposites.  I dug through my stash of "scrabble" letters to make the words "sugar, spice" and stamped a large ampersand (Stampabilities) on cream card stock and matted it with black to make my title. I put some of the torn pearl paper I used on my  "Pearls and Leather" page (see yesterday's post) underneath my photo and punched out two photo corners to frame the photo. However, this page needs something more.  I will work on it more tomorrow.  Corner punch by EK Success.

Day 280: Glamour Shots: Pearls and Leather Part 3

I added some tan Prima flowers with matte gold brads and a heart embellishment (Buttons Galore) to the page and now I am happy.  Pearls and Leather page is finished!

Day 280: Butterfly Stitches

I made this card for a baby shower.  Everything I bough for my gift had a butterfly in it or on it, so I wanted my card to have butterflies as well. I used pink and yellow card stock from Stampin' Up! as the card. I used the We R Memory Keepers "Sew Easy" piercer tool kit to make the dots for the stitching, and some of the yellow floss to create a trail from one butterfly to the next. I stitched the butterflies onto the card for security, alternating from dark to light yellow, ending in a multi-color butterfly to symbolize the new baby girl on the way. Crystals from Jolee's add a little bling to the centers of the butterflies.

I adapted a poem by Robin Fogle to use as the sentiment in the card:

Like a butterfly emerges

And unfolds its graceful wings

A child grows and develops

With the love only parents can bring.

Your baby is twice blessed by God:

Once because He has given her wings

And again because He chose you

To teach her to fly...

Day 279: Glamour Shots: Pearls and Leather Part 2

Now that we have returned from our weekend trip, I can get back to work on this scrapbook page.

I really like the look of all the "banners" that have become so popular. I had some tags in my stash that I thought worked with this page, and decided to make a banner with them.  Using my Crop-A-Dile, I added copper and pewter eyelets to the tags, and then laid them across a strand of the torn pearl paper (Graphic 45) to make a banner.  I found some typewriter key letter stickers in my stash and spelled out my name on the center three tags. While going through my stash, I found some coordinating stickers (and for the "love" sticker, a coordinating overlay, which I stapled on), I made a border for the bottom of the page. I am not happy with this page yet.  It needs something more.  I will leave it tonight and work on it again tomorrow.

Day 278: Heritage Gardens 3-D Papier Tole Die Cuts

More 3-D die cuts I made while on our trip to see family.  This set is "Heritage Gardens" by Hot off the Press, available from Paper Wishes Catalog.

Day 277: Botanicals 3-D Papier Tole Foil Die Cuts

It was an easy project to make these 3-D  die cuts while traveling this weekend.   "Botanicals" foil die cuts by Hot Off the Press.

Day 276: Music and Roses 3-D Papier Tole Die Cuts

I ordered some 3-D die cuts from Paper Wishes catalog to build as accents for cards or my scrapbook pages. This set called "Music & Roses" is designed by Hot Off the Press.

Day 275: Glamour Shots: Pearls and Leather Part 1

For this page of Glamour Shots, I chose a pink distressed background paper (Basic Grey).  I knew I wanted to use the pearl paper by Graphic 45 as a contrast to the studded black leather jacket I was wearing in the photos. I tore it to kind of roughen it up and make it work with the distressed background. I decided where to place my photos on the page, and that is all for tonight.  I have to go get ready for our trip.

Day 274: Glamour Shots: Glitter Time: Completed!

Today I finished my Glitter Time page. I used a clock paper by Teresa Collins as the background page.  I used two black brackets by Laserline underneath my matted photos.  Glitter paper by American Crafts. I cut out the fashion cards from a page of Graphic 45 paper. Flowers by Prima, Ribbon in Razzleberry from Stampin' Up! Filmstrip stamp by Just for Fun, stamped on cream paper in my stash with Memento Black ink. Modeling sticker by 7Gypsies.

Day 273: Glamour Shots: Glitter Time: Photos Matted

Today I matted my photos on Pow! glitter paper by American Crafts.  The orchid color almost perfectly matches the dress I was wearing.

Day 272: Glamour Shots: Glitter Time: Title

Tonight I used the EK Success postage stamp punch from to make a tiny background  to go behind each letter brad in my title. Letter brads from Colorbok. Black card stock from Stampin' Up!