New Mother's Day Card

From Heidi...

Here's a new Mother's Day card using the Fifth Avenue Floral Stampset and paper piecing. I love the soft grey and Barely Banana together. I used a blue accent and sponged Creamy Caramel around the edges to give it a Victorian and vintage look. The pearl embellishments give it an antique look, as well. Thanks for looking!

An Accidental Discovery

From Adriel:

I made a couple of these cards a couple of weeks ago. In the process, I accidentally dropped my stamp pad right on top of one of the cards!! EEEK! I was about to scrap it, but then I thought about "dropping" the stamp pad deliberately and controlled all around the edges. Hmm... what did I have to lose? The card was already "ruined". So, I deliberately laid the stamp pad right on top of the card at different angles and also used the stamp pad directly on the edges to distress them. Anyway, I love how this card turned out with a grunge flavor hand-in-hand with the victorian look. Sometimes accidents give birth to new and fresh ideas! I'll be listing this card soon in our Etsy shop! =)

Newest Coupon Holder

From Heidi...
I thought this would be a fun project to share for a Monday. Maybe it will inspire you to create something fun this week. This is one of our newest coupon holders that we made last week. I love how the paper coordinates together. These paper designs are from Stampin' Up's DS Bella Rose paper. Have a great Monday!

We're in a Treasury

We just thought we'd quickly share the Etsy treasury we're in this weekend. Audrey from AudreysCountryCrafts included a set of our gift tags in her birthday treasury. Thanks, Audrey!!

Couldn't get a screen shot, so you'll just have to click HERE! =)

Same Layout-Last Birthday Card

From Heidi...Okay...Here's the last card I made using the same layout as the previous 2. Again, I used different DP, stampset and color scheme and it looks completely different from the other 2, except for the layout. This is a great way to make a bunch of cards to have on hand...spoken from someone who hasn't any cards on hand. But it IS a great idea and a goal I'll have to work towards.

Date Books AKA Birthday Calendars

From Adriel:

How many times has this happened to you? You forgot your grandpa's birthday, or you have to hustle to the store the day of a good friend's birthday or your own anniversary snuck up on you (and you're empty-handed!). Do any of these scenarios (or even all!) sound familiar?

You're not alone! I have done all of the above... and more!! It's terrible... I feel terrible when I do it. I've tried keeping the special dates written down on my wall calendar, but when I get my new calendar for the new year, I forget to transfer the dates. Aghhh!

There's hope for people like me! Yay! =)



These organizers fit nicely into a medium-size handbag or purse, so you can take it along with you! There are lists for each month and also gift lists for keeping track of ideas. There are two small pockets for gift receipts and gift cards. And the nice thing... you don't have to transfer those special dates when you get a new calendar. They're all in this wonderful organizer, written down, never to be forgotten again (we hope! LOL!). More pictures and details about these organizers can be found by visiting HERE and HERE!

The question is why didn't I start using one of these A LONG time ago?!?! I am still getting in the habit of using mine. I don't consider myself to be very old (yet), but I guess even average-aged dogs have a hard time learning new tricks. Writing this post is even reminding me to get mine out and bring it up to date and make sure I've got my dates down. I'm hoping that next year I won't forget my grandpa's birthday... ;-)

Same Layout-Different Birthday Card

From Heidi...This is the same layout as the Birthday Bunny I showed the other day. Just by using different DP, colors, and stampsets you get a completely different looking card. Thanks for looking and visiting our blog!

3-Heart Birthday Bunny

From Heidi..

I don't know about everyone else, but from mid-April through May we have a slew of birthdays between friends and family. You'd think since I make so many cards, I'd have a stash onhand...but I really don't. So I had to scramble the other night to get some cards made for a little guy turning five and two twin brothers turning twenty. I used the same layout for all 3 cards and varied the subject. For this card I used the 3-Heart punch. I saw this idea for the punched bunny on SCS, although she'd made a larger bunny with the large heart punch. I sponged the edges of all the pieces and punched a small red nose and 2 black eyes. I found a piece of DP that looked like grass, which was great. It's a very simple card with a simple layout.

You're invited: Stamp-A-Stack and Gift Cards

From Heidi...

Wow... two posts from us in one day! I'm posting pictures of our upcoming Gift Card Holder class (4/16) and this month's Stamp-A-Stack (4/21). This month we'll be using the new Designer Paper, Scallop Oval punch and Oval All stamp set from the "Occasions" mini catalog to create the gift cards.

We'll be using punches to create these fun Stamp-A-Stack cards. Each class is $10. You can email or call me to RSVP, so that we're sure to have enough supplies prepared. I do want to mention that the brown circle-flower card was cased from KWerner's blog, I thought it was so cute. You can click Here to view it.

Thursday, April 16 - Gift Card Holder Class (3 gift cards/$10)
Session 1 - 12:30-2:30 PM/Session 2 - 7:00-9:00 PM

Tuesday, April 21 - SAS ( 5 cards/$10)

7:00-9:00 PM

Old Buildings...

From Adriel:

The title for this post sounds kinda lame, but I was too un-energetic mentally to come up with anything better! LOL! =)

Gary and I went on a road trip Saturday with the kids. We took a drive to Canyon Lake and to Tortilla Flats... I took some fun pictures. We stopped at an old mining town (in reality, a tourist trap), and they had some fun old buildings (or at least buildings made to look old) and I had some fun with the camera and took some fun shots. I thought I'd share a few photos with you today. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. =)

Why is it that a "Danger, Keep Out" sign actually increases curiosity in people?

A black and white of the mill... this was actually not the real mill. It was a reproduction, but it still looked cool! =)

The saloon... actually a restaurant. I'm sure the food was way overpriced. =)

Of course, there was a shoot out, but I didn't take any photos. I will just mention that the gun fight was the shortest gun fight I've ever seen... it was pretty weak. We still tipped them $2 (hey, the kids enjoyed it) and I am happy to tell you that is all we spent there. =)

Anyway, a parting photo of Kayla, Jacob and Gary in a giant bird cage...

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day! =)

Trend 3 - Geometric

From Heidi...

I hope you all had a great week and are enjoying the weekend. We've got rain this a.m., which is a nice change from the sunshine. Well here's the last of the "trendy" cards that I made. If you like geometric shapes, this card has plenty going on. It was fun to look through our stamp sets and see which ones would work best for a geometric look. I used the stamp sets "Background Samples" and "Simple Shapes" to the solid and designs. I couldn't have done this without my old faithful "Stampamajig'... what a great tool! I used stitching on this card, as well, wich gave it an artsy look. I used Kiwi Kiss, Close to Cocoa and Sahara Sand with black accents.

We had a good week. We had a custom order for 80 gift tags this week. We worked assembly line style and I was surprised at how quickly we got them finished! Thanks again for looking!

Simple Cards

From Adriel:

The other day I whipped up some quick and easy cards to give to friends that were needing some birthday cards. I thought they would be great to share with you, so here they are!

Very easy, very simple... no frills. Just thought I'd share some simple layouts and card ideas! Have a great day! =)

Trend 2 - Faux Bois

From Heidi...Here's another trend I read about and then tried to incorporate into a card which is faux bois, a French word for "fake wood." This includes anything with a fake woodgrain pattern and because "natural" and "eco" has become an important part of many people's lives, I incorporated some of those ideas into this card, as well.
I pulled out an old SU stamp set "Definitely Decorative Ferns" to use as the main focal point. Instead of using cardstock to accent the white stamped cardstock, I used black stitching. I also stitched the tree rings around the punched Creamy Caramel circles and then used the stamp set "Background Sampler" and SU markers to color in the lines of the stamp to create the woodgrain on the Really Rust contrast piece. This was fun to create... thanks for looking!

There's a Giveaway Going On... and My Surprise!

From Adriel:

I found out about this through Anthonette! Simply Handmade, the magazine, is hosting a Die Cut Machine Giveaway on their blog and I just had to pass the news on to you!! You have to leave a comment to enter the giveaway, but if you blog about it and put the link in your comment, they will give you 2 entries!! Here's the link to get over there and enter: http://simplyhandmademag.blogspot.com/2009/04/die-cut-machine-giveaway.html

I realize not all our followers are probably that interested in winning this, so sorry this isn't that interesting today, but this is exciting news to paper/stamping/card-making/scrapping people! =D

Onto the surprise... look what my husband surprised me with when he came home from the grocery store yesterday! Thanks, Gary!! I love you! =D

Trendy

From Heidi...

I was reading about trends yesterday and I learned a new word..."Steampunk." That's what this card's style is. I got so inspired yesterday after reading and viewing examples, that I created this card. I'm not really a trendy person, I'm actually pretty conservative, but yesterday I broke out and tried some new ideas and had a great time. I'll share the other two cards I made over the next few days, as "Steampunk" is not the only trend.

I used the wide oval punch for the petals after I'd stamped them in black on Pale Plum using the stamp set Background Basics to create this BIG flower. Thanks for looking!

Blog Award

We've been awarded this special blog award and we've got to pass it on!

We received this award from A Scrappy Design... so a big THANKS to her and please visit her blog if you have a chance! =)

The rules for this award are:

1. Add the logo to your blog (will do after posting)

2. Link to the person from whom you've received the award (yes)

3. Nominate 8 blogs of your choice (see below)

4. Leave a message on the nominees' blogs (will do after posting)

So... (drumroll) my choices for the Kreativ Blogger award go to...

1. Anthonette

2. Theresa

3. Sassy Glass Designs

4. Kim

5. Kala Pohl

6. Paula
7. BrigaBauble

8. ArtLife

Thanks everyone! Have a great day! =)

Another Mother's Day Card

From Adriel:

My mom showed you the Mother's Day cards she made last week and I wanted to share one of the cards I made as well.

I used THIS CARD LAYOUT that I showed you last week sometime. I simply made the card horizontal instead of vertical and it gives the card a totally different look! I did this primarily to fit my sentiment on the card stock, which was quite a bit wider than the sentiment I used on the original card layout. This way, the sentiment fit and I just moved the flowers as well. =)

I love the pink and the Bella Rose designer paper on this card and our free stamp set, Polka Dot Punches, that we got during Sale-a-Brations looks great. I also heat embossed the sentiment, so it's slightly raised and shiny.

On a slightly different note, the new Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog is out and they have this adorable new die for the Big Shot! You can see what I'm talking about by clicking HERE (and go to page 16). Beyond cute, right?! There's even a couple stamp sets that coordinate with this die... doubly cute! Well, we don't have a Big Shot, so it would be kind of hard to use, ya know what I mean? (BTW, my birthday is May 5th, and I'm going to put aside my birthday mula towards a Big Shot.) My mom and I did get the Oval All set along with the new Scallop Oval Punch and the Walk in the Park designer paper and we are enjoying those! In fact, for our SAS and Stamp Club this month, we'll be using some of that new paper and the new stamps and punch, so you don't want to miss it! You can check our newsletter for the dates and times for these events.

Anyway, more to share with you later! Thanks for checking in and have a great day! =D

Happy Mother's Day

From Heidi...

Adriel and I worked on some Mother's Day cards last week. I love the 3-D flower effect, so I made 4 cards using it. The pink and brown card with a touch of blue had a Victorian and vintage look to it, so I sponged the blue with Creamy Caramel to make it look more vintage.

We lived in No. CA for almost 15 years among all the beautiful Victorian Homes. These cards reminded me of those homes...and since the flowers are 3-D, I told Adriel they reminded me of the 3-story Victorians. It's kind of a joke...because she was the one who posted my other dimensionalled flower on Etsy. One of the tags she gave it was triple decker, or 3-decker...something like that, so it had struck me kind of funny. So these cards are known as the 3-D, 3-Story, Triple Decker Victorian cards. Thanks again for looking!

April Newsletter & French Dip Recipe

From Adriel:

Hey there! I'm writing this post during the day (instead of at 11pm), so it shouldn't be too strange. LOL! =)

Just letting you all know that April's newsletter is now available by clicking HERE or you can use the link on the side bar (it's the bright pink box that you can't miss). Anyway, in this month's edition of "From the Craft Table", my mom shared the instructions for the cute little apple that she put on the front of this tea bag book.

Last month we offered a special sale on the crimper which will come in handy for this month's project! =)

In addition, I wanted to share my mom's French Dip Sandwich recipe. Everyone really enjoyed eating them last night and this recipe is too good to keep all to ourselves! Try it and let us know what you think!

Heidi's Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches

(8-10 servings)

2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2"x2" chunks

2 envelopes Lipton Beefy-Onion dry soup mix

1 tsp. salt

1/8 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. beef bouillon

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2 bay leaves

1/8 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 cups water

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, chopped

Hoagie rolls or other kind of bread roll, split or cut in half

Sliced provolone cheese

Mayonnaise

1/4 C. butter, melted

1. Combine meat and the next 11 ingredients (seasonings, spices and water) in a crockpot and cook on High for 2 hours. Turn down to Low and cook for another 4-5 hours.

2. When it is getting close to eating, sautee mushrooms and onions in a skillet with 1 TBS. olive oil or butter for about 5 minutes, or until mushrooms and onions are tender. While cooking, sprinkle in some salt, pepper and garlic powder to your liking. Remove from heat after done and set aside.

3. Remove meat from juice. Shred meat and keep warm. Reserve the juice for serving and dipping sandwiches in.

4. Preheat broiler. Butter inside of rolls and broil until lightly browned.

5. Spread mayonnaise on the inside of one side of the rolls.

6. Arrange meat, sauteed mushrooms and onions in hoagie rolls and top each sandwich with provolone cheese.

7. Broil until cheese is slightly melted, 1-2 minutes. Serve each sandwich with a side of juice for dipping.

Obviously, this is NOT a low calorie, low fat or low sodium meal. It's one of those indulgences that you make every so often and enjoy thoroughly!! =) Hope someone out there enjoys this recipe! We love it! =)

Spring 3x3 Cards

From Adriel:

Another day... wait a minute! It's Wednesday and that means it's the middle of the week! (I'm just being random and weird, so just act like this is normal!) LOL! =D

I'm making yummy French Dip Sandwiches for dinner tonight using my mom's famous recipe (at least it is in our family). "Why do I want to know this?" you ask... well, you probably don't care, but I'm looking forward to it and wanted to share! Hey, that rhymed!! Did you notice that?

Okay, okay, I'll stop! I really should stop. Let's get back to what we usually do here...

I used the retired set "Drawing on Nature" for these cute 3x3 note cards. I stamped them in chocolate chip ink and then used pastels to color in some of the image. The pastels really worked well on these cards, as they added a very soft touch of color that went well with the style of the cards.

I also distressed all the edges by using the sponging technique along with Sahara Sand ink... it's a great color for distressing. I think I mentioned that previously!! LOL! =) Well, it is... so that's why I'm saying it again!
The bunny cards are sold out in our Etsy shop, but the butterfly cards are still available. Do you like how I bolded and enlarged the key words there? I thought I would make it easy for you to find out the status of these cards!! =) heehee You can find the butterfly note cards HERE.


Well, I suppose it's time to end this rather unusual post. If I continue, it may result in more random weirdness... so, I will end by saying...

Thank you so much for coming by and checking out what we're up to. Also, thanks for your comments! It makes blogging so rewarding! Have a great day, everyone! =)

Sale-a-Bration Ends Today!

Hi there! Just a reminder that Stampin' Up!'s awesome Sale-a-Bration promotion ends today! If you haven't gotten to take advantage of this promotion, today is the last day you can until next year!


Sale-a-Bration in a nutshell: Spend $50 on Stampin' Up! merchandise and receive a free stamp set, ribbon bundle or paper pack out of the Sale-a-Bration brochure! Super exciting! My mom and I were able to get all of the rewards and they're all great! You can read more about this promotion by clicking HERE or on the picture. From there you can order on Heidi's website by clicking on the "Shop Now" button.

Here's a card I made using the Polka Dot Punches Sale-a-Bration set. Fun and spring-y!

Thanks so much for stopping by our blog today! I hope you have a good one! =)

Chalkboarding

From Heidi ...

Another Monday and new week...where does the weekend go? I hope you all had a great weekend.
Here's a card I made awhile back for one of our classes at the Tumbleweed Rec Center. I used an older stamp set, All the Best, because it had a nice solid image. I stamped the image with a Versamark and then chalked pastels over the image. I have a couple of other stamp sets I'd like to try this on along with some fun color combinations. Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Tea Book

From Heidi...We had a potential request for an order a few weeks ago for one of our tea books with an apple on the front. We didn't hear back from the person who made the request, but I thought the idea of the apple tea book was so cute, I went ahead and created one. I thought I'd share this with you, it's cute...thanks for looking.