Sketch # 142 and a new toy!

Did you snag sketch #142 from Stars & Stamps today? This is a really fun one. I like that you can use scraps of paper to make those cute ribbon strips.

Today I used some sample scraps of the new Christmas Pear & Partridge paper from CTMH. I love this set almost as much as the Mistletoe pack from a few years ago. It does have some really fun patterns and colors. I'm trying to get a few more Christmas cards done before the deadline for OWH... It's October 31st!


I also picked up a new toy yesterday. It was only $14 at Walmart and at that price I decided to give it a go. I'm a terrible seamstress and I can't even replace a button. I have no idea how to use a sewing machine. I failed Home Economics in Jr. High school. No kidding. So I was a little scared to try this tiny stitching machine out. But Eleanor Roosevelt says that you should challenge yourself by doing something that scares you, every day.




Challenge accepted, Lady Roosevelt! This little hand held stitcher is called a "Singer Stitch Sew Quick" and I was able to use it right out of the box. It comes with three bobbins and some other little tools and three thread colors. I know that as soon as I run out of thread I am in trouble because I will have to read the instructions again on how to fix that. Also I don't remember how to make a bobbin. :)

Pros: I stitched these cards in just a few seconds. The stitching is tiny and cute for cards making. The machine stitched easily through several layers of paper and it appears that you could stitch pretty far into a page if you wanted to, instead of just the edges. It is very light weight and it was much easier on my fingers and hands than hand-stitching an entire card. (My arthritis is beginning to become enough of an issue that things like this are important to me.)

Cons: Investing in a big sewing machine is not something that I have the money / space / need for at the moment. All I wanted was something to stitch on cards with. If I want to do stitching that is neat and tidy and even I am going to have to stick with piercing/hand stitching, or I am going to have to practice a LOT more with this little thingy. My stitches are uneven and wavy, but that's ok if you are going for that grungy stitched look. :) There doesn't seem to be an edge guide or way to help keep the stitch perfectly straight. I'm off to investigate this issue on YouTube. Also, the machine does not come with four AA batteries, and if you don't have any, you'll have to steal them out of your camera for a while. And that means that your blog photos will be crummy... Sorry about that.


All in all. If I can use this little stitcher, ANYONE can. I am pleased that it didn't jam, tangle or get stuck even once. I didn't poke myself with the needle, I didn't end up in a pile of knotted thread, I have minimal heartburn from the stress of trying something new AND I don't think that I even used any cuss words, at all! And i like how my cards turned out. Fourteen dollars, well spent. :) Thanks for stopping by!

Hop winner!

I'm searching for my hop winner, Ann! Congrats! I'll send you some of my shiny hop paper!




Please email me, Ann!

I'm Toast!

Please help... I'm feeling old. I've always enjoyed kids in the teen/tween stages of life. I've been hearing a new phrase though, that I'm not sure I understand. I'm sure that this must be how my parents felt, when my friends and I started saying, gnarly, radical or... totally awesome!!!

My youngest has thrown a new one at me. It goes like this: Errr merrr gerrrrd!!!I even know that it is spelled that way, because he texted it to me once. (I never texted my parents. Then again, our phones were plugged into walls, and had rotary dials.) Another version of this expression is spelled and pronounced, "Oh Emm Gee!" I figured that one out on my own, it is also OMG, Oh My Gosh - which is sort of the same as "totally awesome, dude!" NOW I get it.

A few weeks ago, our birthday bash at Stars & Stamps included a week of features from Lawn Fawn. I was instantly smitten. . . So much so that I ordered lots of their stamps and I have really been enjoying their tutorial videos too. OMG, you should totally check them out. ;)

This stamp set is one of my favorites. I just happened to trip over this paper (literally, I didn't see the display until it was too late...) at a local store last week and it matched my cute new little stamps perfectly. (Retro Kitchen, by Nicole.)

The stamp set by Lawn Fawn is "Love 'n Breakfast." Are you ready?

OMG!!! Look at this muffin!!!



OHHH EMMM GEEE!!! We go together, little salt and pepper!!!



Errr merrr gerrrrd!!!1!!1!!!!! TOAST!!!!!
(If you put ones in with your exclamation points, that means you really, really mean it!!!!1!!111!)



So now maybe you can see why I am so full of smit... I love these little stamps! Who wouldn't? I know that I will use them for lots of cards. They are quick and easy to color. And I just love that toast. Err merrr gerrrrd! Indeed! !!!!1!



For my honey...we are old, but I <3 U!

World Card Making Day Blog Hop

One day doesn't seem like quite enough to celebrate the best occasion of the whole year does it? Thank you for joining me for the Operation Write Home bloghop... If you would like to see THE BEST card making bloghop of the whole year, be sure to Start Here for tons of beautiful inspiration. Here are two cards (no one can make just one...) following OWH sketches 22 and 45 that I made to prepare my box of holiday cards for our heroes. Please scroll back one post for credits inspiration and supplies used, as well as the chance to enter for some candy!

Thank you for stopping by and thank you, Operation Write Home for another fabulous hop.

Blog hop - Credits and candy!

Here's a little story behind my bloghop cards for world card making day. One of my favorite places to shop for card making supplies is a local storefront to a company called Artco. They make those really fancy schmancy wedding and graduation announcements and such. I can buy odds and ends of some really great paper from them by the pound. Since they are always making different sorts of announcements or invitations, their supply is always different. It's kind of like a box of chocolates, as Forrest Gump would say.

The paper that I used to make my cards this week is a heavy cardstock with a solid core. I'm not sure how to describe it adequately other than it is shiny but not metallic and glittery without the glitter. It dry embosses really nicely without cracking and you can heat emboss on it without warping or melting the way that some metallic papers do. Here are some close ups.








I love this paper... It reminds me of a paint job on a new car. So shiny! It also goes really nicely with gel pens, if you enjoy using those.

A few credits for my hop cards... I did use sketches 22 and 45 for basic layout inspiration but changed the measurements a little to make some layers and match the stamps a little better.







The stamp sets that I used that are still available for sale are Happy Hanukkah and the Snowflake set by Close to My Heart (I used the sentiment.) Bundled Buddies (the little Raccoon) is retired but is a favorite of mine.






I must also give credit to one of my favorite card designers, Jenny Gropp - I have always been inspired by her use of multiple layers and rhinestones and I fashioned the red white and green card similarly to one that she made last year. I love the snowflake design used as a layer behind the circle mats.

CANDY... Yes, I have candy... I purchased two extra packages of that awesome metallic paper to share with one lucky winner for the blog hop. One package has the red white and green color used in my first card, the other has white blue and more of the same red. Could be fancy for making patriotic cards too, no? The paper is an odd size. 5 x 7" but it is so pretty. I just know that someone will have fun with it. I'll even emboss a few pieces with some fun patterns.

I'll pick one random winner - I do insist that my random pick is here for the OWH bloghop... I don't mind if you are not a participant in the hop (as in one of the stops,) as long as you are hopping along with the rest of us. Sometimes when you offer blog candy, you get some odd entries...knowwhatimean??? I won't be shipping outside the U.S., ok? :) Please leave me a comment on this post along with some way that I can contact you, to enter to win.

Thanks for stopping by and a very happy card-making day to each of you.