Scrap Yard Cards

Christmas Monogram Wreath

2012-01-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

Another Pinterest-inspired project! This was SO time consuming and labour intensive. I've easily put 12-15 hours into this wreath, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. This will be for our front door next christmas. It seems counterintuitive to make an xmas project in January, but at least I was able to buy a lot of the supplies for 75-90% off!

There are WAY too many things here to list all of the supplies individually, but I'll break down some of the parts of it:

Wreath frame: Clearance at the grocery store. $0.84! It had a felt bird on it, which I took off, took apart, and used for scraps.

Monogram L: Michael's. MDF painted with Martha Stewart glitter paint in Antique Silver.

Ribbon: There's SO much ribbon on this, I don't even know where to begin! Ribbons predominantly from Michael's basic collection, Walmart basic collection, American Crafts, and Stampin' Up with some miscellaneous in the mix as well.

Balls: Foam glitter balls from Michael's; ornament balls (red and silver) from the grocery store.
Sprigs: Green branch and red sequin sprigs from Michael's. Red/green star wire garland from Walmart.
Felt: Leftover scraps from my Grinch quilt (see a few posts back.)
Other: Jingle bells from Walmart; buttons from Fancy Pants, Basic Grey, and American Crafts; star picks by Maya Road; miniature cookie cutters from craft supply; hologram stars from Walmart; snowflakes from Stampin' Up; vinyl brads from Hobby Lobby.

Yarn and Felt Wreath

2012-01-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

This isn't a paper craft, but let's call it like it is - a lot of the time, crafters are crafters!

This is inspired by another idea I found on Pinterest. I wanted a wintery colour scheme and I love how this turned out!

Wreath form: $6.99
Yarn: $3.49
Felt (four sheets @ $0.49 each): $1.96
Other supplies: Hot glue

This was dead easy and really quick to make! My son has been napping for two hours, and in that time, I've put dinner in the Crock Pot, made this wreath start to finish, photographed it, and done this blog post. So, obviously, it doesn't take very long! I see more of these in my future!

Card Binder

2012-01-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

Another great idea I saw on Pinterest that I thought I'd put into use, since I've got a huge stash of cards sitting in boxes. I'll do this with our wedding cards, too, but I started with the cards James received when he was born. Each card was hole-punched in the corner with my Crop-A-Dial and I created a cover (front and back, but the back is just plain cardstock) and bound them together with a binder ring. Super easy, really cheap (the only thing purchased was the binder ring - I got a 10-pack for $1 at the dollar store!) and a great, usable way to save keepsake cards.

Supplies:

Cardstock by Stampin' Up (Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake)

Patterned Paper by October Afternoon (Campfire collection)

Diecut tag from Sizzix

Diecut leaves from Cuttlebug

Leather letters from American Crafts (Thickers)

Wood veneer sheets from Creative Imaginations

Green letter stickers from October Afternoon
Button from Stampin' Up
Bakers Twine from The Twinery
Ribbon from American Crafts
Tools used: Crop-A-Dial, Cuttlebug.
Other: Binder ring (dollar store.)

James' newborn layout

2012-01-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

I'm really thrilled with how this page turned out; it's simple, clean, boyish, and beautiful!

Supplies as follows:
Cardstock from Bazzil and Recollections
Patterned Paper from American Crafts ("The Goods" collection)
Diecut letters ("James") cut with Slice by Making Memories, Bon Appetit card
Buttons from Stampin' Up
Font (on stats) "Antipasto" from dafont.com

Organized Chaos... my ribbon storage

2012-01-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Ribbon might be one of the most difficult things to store for any crafter. I have SO MUCH RIBBON it's bordering on hoarding, and I've never kept it on the spools because it's just too bulky. Up until this past week, my ribbon has been in Ziploc bags, sorted by colour families; it was a disaster. I couldn't see what was in there since they were so jammed full, and all of the strands were tangled and impossible to get out. Often times I couldn't find an end, so I'd just cut a piece out of the middle. What a mess.

I saw this idea using clothespins on Pinterest and thought it might just work for me. Santa took the hint and put 100 wooden clothespins in my christmas stocking this year; sadly enough, that STILL wasn't enough so I had to make an extra trip to the dollar store to finish up.

Here's what my ribbon storage looks like now:

The first drawer is SUPREME organization, especially for me... I'm not known for being an organized person. The left column is mostly-full spools of Stampin' Up (at 10 yards per spool, they're too big to unwind!) and twine (hemp and linen thread from Stampin' Up and lots and lots of baker's twine from My Mind's Eye, The Twinery, and Martha Stewart.) The two middle columns are unopened (oh, the shame! I just bought MORE!) spools from American Crafts; regular grosgrain and polkadot grosgrain.) The right column is mostly striped grosgrain from Stampin' Up and a few assorted wide ribbons at the back. The cardboard tags are punched from a Sizzix die from scrap cardboard in our recycling bin. Reusing at it's finest!

The second drawer shows the clothespin method. It's still a bit of a mess, admittedly; I'm at peace with that. Each piece of ribbon is visible, though, and nothing gets tangled up. Hopefully this will allow me to use things more effectively!

(Click here to join me on Pinterest!)

On Your Day...

2011-12-30T14:50:00.000-08:00

A scrapbook page for my baby boy, documenting the front-page headline, winning lotto numbers, local weather, #1 movie, and #1 song on the day he was born.

Supplies:

Background paper by Cosmo Cricket (Mr. Campy collection)

Cardstock by Stampin' Up (Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake) and Recollections (ivory)

Leaves and acorn embellishments by K&Co.

Font from dafont.com ("It Ain't Rocket Science")

Chipboard letters by American Crafts

Mini Vintage Tag by Stampin' Up

Festive Gift Wrap and Pinwheel Bows

2011-12-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share some adorable gift wrapping!

I had a special gift to wrap tonight; it was for a secret santa and my husband was the giver. I figured if it was done with lots of pink and crafty touches, nobody would suspect the only man in the room!

The paper is from Echo Park's holiday line from last year. The pinwheels were created VERY easily with a little bit of folding, a little bit of cutting, a Glue Dot and a button. I love how cute and easy this was to do! That said, wrapping with quality cardstock is a nightmare; everything had to be scored and it was REALLY tedious! Consider yourself warned!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

I was quite content to occupy myself in my craft room tonight while my husband had some daddy/son bonding time - he hogs the baby on the weekends since I get to spend the week with him. :)

I downloaded A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Gauraldi Trio and played it on repeat while I wrapped presents and made a few gift tags. That's my version of Christmas Bliss!

First of all, I want to share a How The Grinch Stole Christmas rag quilt I've made for my son for his first christmas; I've made a rag quilt for each of the babies in our extended families since my husband and I got married, so I had to make one for James, as well! I'm really, really happy with how this turned out and I hope it's really special to him as he grows up.

I made a snowman gift tag for one of my mom's gifts; I saw this idea on Pinterest and absolutely LOVED it. The originals are from Mari Designs on Etsy. I modified them slightly by adding the top hat and using punched circles for the lumps of coal.

I did a few really simple tags like this one; they're nice and easy but still quite pretty.

Lastly, I had to use my new Holiday Stocking die cut! We're doing charitable donations in lieu of gifts for my brother and sister-in-law. Since they're big cat lovers (and have three adopted cats of their own!) we decided a donation to the MEOW Foundation would be appropriate. Instead of just a note in a card, I made a card to tuck inside of a stocking, and gave the stocking a cat-print trim. Too cute, if I do say so myself!

Supplies as follows:

Rag quilt: All fabric from Robert Kaufman.

Snowman tags: White glossy paper from Canon (glossy photo paper); black and orange cardstock from Bazzil; Tangerine Tango ink by Stampin' Up; embossing folder from Cuttlebug; felt and snowflake button from craft supply.

Basic Tag: Tag die cut from Sizzix; cardboard from the recycling bin; ribbon from Stampin' Up; holly berry stamp from "Holiday Bingo Bits" by Stampin' Up; Garden Green ink from Stampin' Up; red marker and white opaque pen from American Crafts; Momento black ink; letters from Sweet Shoppe Alphabet by Stampin' Up.

Stocking: Holiday Stocking die from Sizzix for Stampin' Up; cardstock (brown and ivory) from Bazzil; cat print paper from Max & Whiskers collection by Basic Grey; grosgrain ribbon from craft supply.

Merry Christmas!

Baby Boy - Birth Announcement & Thank You Cards

2011-12-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

Our sweet baby boy, James Alistair, made his safe (and VERY slow!) arrival on October 2, 2011! He is, without a doubt, my biggest love and brightest joy.

I created his birth announcements in Photoshop with a picture I took of him at about 10 days old. They were printed and mailed to our family and friends.

And of course, I had to make a set of thank you notes for the gifts we've received! I was on bed rest due to medical complications for the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy so I created a bunch of these prior to giving birth; of course, they were all gone by time he arrived and another batch needed to be made! I've created about 60 of these notes; they're easy to make in a batch and there's a little bit of variety to keep me from getting bored with them.

Supplies: All supplies from Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted. Cardstock (Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White); Fox & Friends stamp set; Baja Breeze ink; 1/8" taffeta ribbon in Baja Breeze. "Thanks" sentiment from Gel-a-Tins; Embossing folders by Cuttlebug, Sizzix, and Quickutz.

Paper Mobile

2011-05-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

I saw a mobile similar to this on Etsy; after a quick look, I realized just how easily (and cheaply!) they could be made! I really wanted one for our nursery, so I decided to go for it. The paper is so light and the strands twirl so beautifully; plus, with so many colours of cardstock available, it was really easy to match this to our other nursery decor.

While these mobiles are super easy, there are quite a few steps involved and they are quite tedious. I figured I'd do a quick tutorial to walk you through it. Please forgive the shifting colours and light as the day progressed in my bonus room. :)

Supplies needed:
6 sheets of 12x12 cardstock in your choice of colour(s)
1 small ball of thin twine or sewing thread
Circle punch or punches - I used three sizes (2", 1 3/4", 1 1/2") but you could easily do these with other sizes or even with all one size
Crimping beads - approximately 150-200 (optional)
Beading pliers (optional; only needed if using crimping beads)
Scissors
2' of dowling (I used 7/16" diameter)
Acrylic paint and a small paintbrush
Ribbon (approximately 8 feet)
Hot glue gun

PART 1 - Preparing the rack.
1. Cut your dowling into two pieces of equal length. Mine are 12" each, but size yours as you wish. Sand the cut edges to remove any sharp bits.

2. Paint your rods. One coat of acrylic paint is sufficient.

3. Mark your dowels at the midpoint (make sure to measure!) Using a liberal amount of hot glue, glue your dowels together at the midpoint in an X (or +) formation. Don't worry if the glue is messy; you won't see it in a minute.

4. Wrap the intersection of the two rods with approximately 8-12" of ribbon, using hot glue to fasten the end. Make sure you have approximately 7' of the same ribbon remaining; you'll need it later.

PART 2 - Preparing the mobile.
1. Using your circle punch(es), cut circles from your cardstock. If you are using more than one colour and/or more than one size of circle, make sure to alternate. All together, you will need 148 circles to make 12 strands. You will want some sort of pattern in each strand, so cut and arrange accordingly as your work. I used three patterns on my strands (four strands of each pattern) but the circles varied in size. I made four strands of 11 circles and eight strands of 13 circles.

2. Arrange your circles into 12 lines. Each line will become a strand.

3. Using a sewing needle or pin, punch a hole in the center of each circle. I found that pushing in the pin and rotating it around worked well to make the hole large enough. You do NOT want the holes perfectly centered, so eyeballing this step works perfectly.

This is where you have two options: either using knots or using crimping beads. Using the knot method is VERY tedious - please keep in mind that for a mobile this size, you will tie approximately 600 knots. This is why I switched to crimping beads and started over after doing a few lines.

4. OPTION A: Cut a length of twine (approximately 1 yard) and tie a large knot in the bottom. Given that the twine is thin, each knot is usually 4-5 overlapping knots to make it an adequate size. (From this point forward, please remember when I say "tie a knot" I'm actually referring to tying 4-5 overlapping knots.) Thread on your first circle. Tie another knot approximately 1" to 1 1/2" above the circle. Thread on another circle. Repeat with 11-13 circles per strand. Set each strand aside as you continue working until all 12 strands are done. (Hint: I found it helpful to tape each strand to the bannister as I worked. Use masking tape.)

OPTION B: Cut a length of twine (approximately 1 yard) and flatten a crimping bead at the bottom. Thread on your first circle. Add another crimping bead approximately 1" to 1 1/2" above the circle. Thread on another circle. Repeat with 11-13 circles per strand. Set each strand aside as you continue working until all 12 strands are done. (Hint: I found it helpful to tape each strand to the bannister as I worked. Use masking tape.)

The photo shown is using the crimping beads.

These are my 12 strands, all shown together, taped to the bannister as mentioned above.

PART 3 - Putting it all together.

1. Arrange your strands into two groups of six strands in the order you would like them to rest on the bars. For the mobile to have this shape, you will want your longer strands in the middle of the mobile and the shorter strands at the ends of the rods.

2. Starting with one rod, gather your outermost strands and tie the strand to the rod. I simply tied a knot, wrapped the excess string around the rod a few times, tied another knot and trim the excess at both the top and bottom.

Please pardon my husband's hairy man-arms for the next few pics!

3. Next, tie the innermost strands, repeating the same process as above.

4. Lastly, tie on the center strands, aligning them between the inner and outer strands of each section.

5. Repeat the last three steps on the other rod.

6. Remember that extra 7 feet of ribbon I had you set aside earlier? Cut it into five pieces: four 18" pieces and one 12" piece.

7. With each 18" piece, glue the end of it to the end of the rod with the remaining ribbon going toward the center of the mobile. Repeat with each rod.

8. Cut the remaining ribbon into four short (2"-ish) pieces.

9. Wrap each short ribbon piece around the glued portion of the ribbon to cover the rough edge.

10. Gather all four long pieces of ribbon toward the center and tie in a knot near the top. Trim ends.

Your mobile is complete!

As I mentioned above, this mobile is very inexpensive to make. Here's the breakdown (please note I don't include the cost of tools as I assume you have these already!)

6 sheets of cardstock at $0.70 each: $4.20

200 crimping beads: $10.00

Spool of twine: $4.29

Spool of ribbon: $2.00

Acrylic paint: $0.99

Dowling: $1.38

Total cost: $22.86

If you choose to do the mobile with knots instead of crimping beads, your cost is only $12.86! You just can't beat that.

I hope this was helpful! Please feel free to comment with questions or suggestions. Cheers!

More cards, of course!

2011-04-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a mishmash of everything else I've been up to in the last little while!

Let me know if you have any questions about supplies or techniques!

Home Sweet Home

2011-04-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make a layout for our new house, which we moved into last June. I keep procrastinating; since it was a new build, we didn't have grass... then the weather was bad... then it was winter. Things are still really dead and brown outside, so I still don't have a photo and I'm waiting until spring has sprung before I take one, but I sat down and cranked out a layout today! This will fit a 5x7" photo; I love the colours, the design, and the little chipboard houses at the bottom of the page!

I almost always use a sketch for my projects, but I just winged it for this one. I absolutely love how it turned out! It'll be tucked safely away in my album until we finally have some green grass outside.

The patterned papers in this layout are all from the Metropolitan line by American Crafts; I love buying coordinating sets because it takes the guess-work out of matching papers; everything is ready to go! The cardstock is from Bazzil; chipboard houses (covered w/ patterned paper) by Maya Road; letters by American Crafts; circle punches by EK Success; eyelets by American Crafts.

Wedding Card

2011-04-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

This design is one of my favourites; it's so simple to make but looks so beautiful and elegant! I try to match the couple's wedding colours as best as I can for a customized look. I've made a few of these in the last couple of years and they're always a hit with the bride and groom!

This particular card is for Steve's cousin, who is getting married in May. Her invitation was eggplant and vanilla, so that was mirrored in the design. The cake is super easy to make; just three rectangles, round the top corners, and emboss with your favourite embossing folder. Layer with pop dots (the bottom layer is the highest) and tuck each layer under the one below it. Couldn't be easier!

I also stamped the inside of this card; I almost never put anything on the inside of my cards, but I just love this sentiment and really wanted to use it. The ink is eggplant as well.

Most supplies are from Stampin' Up: Very Vanilla cardstock, stamped sentiment, ticket punch (inside corners) and felt flowers. The purple cardstock is from Bazzil, the pearls are from Recollections, the corner rounder (on the cake) is from Marvy Uchida and the embossing folder is from Cuttlebug.

My latest project...

2011-04-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are expecting our first baby this fall!

I'm now 14 weeks along, but I've been waiting to share this layout for quite a while now. This picture is from our first ultrasound on March 1st, 2011. Baby was tiny, only 4mm long, with a little tiny flicker of a heartbeat. It was amazing.

The journalling reads, "The first time we saw you on an ultrasound was an amazing experience; your heart was beating like crazy and it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."

Papers, journalling card from October Afternoon (Daydream collection.) Ribbon, button, and twine from Stampin' Up. Glimmer mist used to distress papers. Green letters from an unknown source (they've been in my stash forever!)

"Early Bird" by Cosmo Cricket

2011-01-16T21:32:00.000-08:00

Cosmo Cricket's "Early Bird" line remains one of my all-time favourites. I bought the whole collection and later won a crafting kit from Cosmo's blog, so I have TONNES of this paper... and I'll probably still be broken hearted when it finally runs out! Here's three sweet cards I made with this beautiful collection.

October Afternoon - Schoolhouse, Modern Homemaker, and Campfire

2011-01-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

I waited SO long for the new October Afternoon lines to arrive at my LSS. They were debuted last summer and finally came into stock just before Christmas! I've had a lot of fun with these three beautiful lines and here are a few of my favourites:

From the Schoolhouse line:

From the Modern Homemaker line:

From the Campfire line:

Love is in the air...

2011-01-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

With valentine's day coming up, I've been making a lot of love cards... my husband may end up with a week worth of cards instead of just a day... who else will I give them all to?!

I absolutely love this first one; I inked the embossing folder (woodgrain folder by Tim Holtz for Sizzix) before dry embossing the cardstock. The effect is just beautiful!

Layout copied from an issue of "Cards" by Northridge Media. I love the layout for this one and it combines many of my favourite papers from October Afternoon. Really happy with how this one turned out!

This patterned paper remains one of my all-time favourites. I love those simple little line drawings! I bought two sheets of it when I got married (summer of 2007) with the intention of making a scrapbook with it; that never happened by it has made a few good cards over the years!

This one is CASE'd from the February issue of Paper Crafts Magazine. I love the layout and the sentiment. The font is the beautiful "Amelie" from dafont.com and the padlock, from the Vintage Findings cartridge by Slice, was cut five times and stacked for dimension.

Pretty in Pink

2011-01-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

This first card was inspired by SFYTT090410. I wasn't really thrilled with it as I was creating it, but I think the end product came together nicely. I love the sentiment (from Technique Tuesday) and the pretty pastel papers (American Crafts "Letterbox" collection.)

This next card was made to welcome my cousin's first baby, due at the beginning of February. I make a quilt for each new arrival into our family; hers is ivory, pink and brown so the card was made to match. That adorable onesie stamp is from one of the Kim Hughes collections by Cornish Heritage Farms. Love her work!

Big Squares

2011-01-16T20:15:00.000-08:00

I've got a TONNE of new stuff to share with you! I figured I'd break it down in to a few smaller, more manageable posts.

These first two cards are a couple of big (5x5") square ones; I rarely make square cards but I'm always pleased with them when I do! I used the big squares to take on two of the new lines by Cosmo Cricket, "Pixielicious" and "Togetherness." Both of these cards are pretty much CASE'd from the Cosmo Cricket website; why mess with perfection?

Not-Christmas Cards

2010-11-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

And some of the others I've been working on!

Christmas Cards

2010-11-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Just a sampling of the Christmas cards I've been making; I'm preparing for a late-November craft sale and am hoping to sell a few of these!

More cards!

2010-10-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Two more fun cards to share!

Atomic Soup

2010-10-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Jillibean Soup's new line, "Atomic Soup," might be one of my favourites... I'm a big nerd and so is my husband. This is a really fun line and really unisex. Love it!

All aboard the Copic bandwagon!

2010-10-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

I finally bit the bullet a few months ago and bought Copics - and they're pretty fantastic, I have to say! I don't use them frequently, but when I do, I'm pretty darn pleased with the results. Here's a simple card and a couple of bookmarks I made recently using them.

Saying Goodbye

2010-08-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

Our precious family dog, Duchess, took a turn for the worse in May of this year. She was a beloved companion for nearly 17 years and will be deeply, dearly missed.

"Saying Goodbye" - The quote on this page reads "If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever."

What's Love Got To Do With It?

2010-08-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

Two sweet cards made especially for my husband.

Friends, Robots, and Shabby-Chic Birthdays

2010-08-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Birthdays - Ladies and Gents

2010-08-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

Two birthday cards; one for the ladies and one for the guys.

"Happy B-day" with papers from Basic Grey's "Urban Prarie."

"Enjoy the Day" has a nice star theme with lots of metallic elements.

Pebbles Inc. - The Treehouse

2010-08-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with "The Treehouse" by Pebbles Inc. the moment I saw it at my LSS. Here's a few quick and easy cards using this great collection.

Big Squares

2010-08-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of large square cards - lots of layers and lots of paper used in these!

The first one was created with the "Early Bird" collection by Cosmo Cricket.

The second was using "Cogsmo" by Cosmo Cricket.

Enjoy! More to come...

Plenty of new cards...

2010-05-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of catching up to do!

For details on these cards (product lines, etc.) please see my SCS Gallery.

Thanks & Good Luck

2010-03-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

Two more quick cards to share... I've got a big tri-shutter card finished but I'll save that one for later.

This first one is made with the Early Bird set by Cosmo Cricket - I just love that set. So bright and fun with just a hint of vintage. It reminds me of 1950s aprons. I was lucky enough to win an Early Bird paper crafting kit from the Cosmo Cricket blog and I'm sure as hell going to use it! All supplies are Cosmo Cricket except the letters (American Crafts) and the cardstock (Stampin' Up.)

This card is fairly masculine, which is a nice change for me... I have a tough time making masculine cards. The cardstock is Stampin' Up, paper is from Marrakesh by Basic Grey, sentiment rub-on from Stampin' Up, bingo card from craft supply, ribbon from American Crafts, tag from Tim Holtz, flowers from Prima and brad from Recollections.

See you again soon!

Button Bits

2010-02-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was able to get my hands on Everyday Button Bits from Papertrey Ink via a kind soul on SCS. The Papertrey website was sold out, not to mention that shipping to Canada was $19.60 (on a $27 set!)

I had a chance to play with it this weekend and I'm quite pleased with it... the button cards are super cute and it's a good way to use up some of my stash. What sewer doesn't have a stash of random, mismatched buttons?

This first card is the large chickadee from the set. Super cute, eh? The cardstock (blue and yellow) is Bazzil and (white) Recollections; patterned paper from American Crafts' Craft Fair collection; button from Elan; ink from Stampin' Up; ribbon leftover from cupcake packaging; stamps from Papertrey Ink.

This one was made for CS268 on Splitcoaststampers.com. I loved the simple, clean lines of the sketch. My intention was to make a monkey card but I deviated from that and I'm glad I did; the reverse of all these papers is monkeys and bananas! I think it turned out nicely and is fairly gender neutral. Cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned paper from Recollections; ink from Stampin' Up; buttons from Elan and craft supply; stamps from Papertrey Ink.

Have a great day!

Lots of cards to share!

2010-02-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

I've got a bunch of new cards to share with you today!

These first two cards are quite feminine and dainty; not at all my usual style, but I had a pad of paper from the Lilykate collection by Basic Grey that I loved and wanted to use. For both cards, the same supplies were used. Cardstock by Bazzil; paper by Basic Grey (Lilykate collection); flowers by Prima; glitter mist by Tattered Angels; pearls by Recollections; rub-ons by Stampin' Up; border punches by Martha Stewart; ink by Stampin' Up.

Two more cards where the same basic supplies were used. I really like the colour scheme and theme of these, even though we barely get an autumn where I live - we have summer, then snow for 6 months! Supplies are as follows: Cardstock by Bazzil; ink by Stampin' Up; patterned paper by October Afternoon (Weathervane collection); die cut shapes by Cuttlebug (leaves); square punch by EK Success; rub-ons by October Afternoon (Beautiful Autumn) and Dream Street (leaves are falling...)

This one is a fun card that I really enjoyed making. I love everything from the Kim Hughes Collection by Cornish Heritage Farms; her stamps are so, so fun and absolutely adorable. Supplies: Cardstock by Bazzil; patterned paper by Cosmo Cricket (Snorkel collection); stamps by Cornish Heritage Farms; thread by Guterman; ink by Stampin' Up.

This card is for my husband. I really should have retaken this photo but I didn't want to bother... Anyway, he just bought himself a scooter. It's his new toy and his very eco-friendly means of summer transportation around the city. I saw this stamp and thought of him right away! Plus, how often do you get a chance to use a "Rock on, dude" sentiment? I plan on saving this card for the summer when he can actually take his bike out for the first time. Supplies: Cardstock by Bazzil; patterned paper by Scenic Route; stamp by Imaginisce; metal gears by Tim Holtz; sentiment rub-on from Stampin' Up; marker from American Crafts; Ink by Stampin' Up and Staz-On.

I love this card. Really, really love it. This was made from the February "Sketch For You To Try" (SFYTT) from http://www.iheart2stamp.com. I wanted to interpret it into an earthy, organic type look. I think it turned out beautifully. The birch wood is such a beautiful touch; this is a new product from Creative Imaginations that my LSS just got in stock and I had to try it out! Supplies: Cardstock by Bazzil; patterned paper from Basic Grey (Origins collection); Ink by Stampin' Up; border punch by Martha Stewart; real wood sheets in birch by Creative Imaginations; metal tag by Tim Holtz; ribbon from Dots and Dashes; circle cutters from EK Success and Fiskars; die cut leaf by Cuttlebug; pearls from Recollections.

And last but not least, a fun valentine card. This was inspired by a card in the February 2010 issue of CARDS by Northridge Media. I love how this turned out in the end! Supplies: Cardstock by Stampin' Up; patterned paper by Cosmo Cricket (Early Bird collection); Ink by Stampin' Up; letters by American Crafts; "Flair" button by American Crafts; sticker strip by Cosmo Cricket.

Note cards

2010-01-19T21:31:00.000-08:00

Blank notecards are always handy to have; I decided to make a handful so I always have one available when I need it. Here's what I came up with!

Plus a birthday card...

And a congratulations card.

I'm entirely too tired to list supplies tonight; if there's something you'd like to know the manufacturer of, please leave a comment and I'll let you know!

Happy crafting.

Love Birds

2010-01-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

I love how this card turned out! I had no idea what I was doing but in the end, I think it looks great. Perfect for a valentine, wedding, anniversary, or engagement card.

Cardstock by Bazzil; red paper by American Crafts; striped paper by October Afternoon (Report Card collection); background stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms; clear embossing powder by Whispers; Border punch by Fiskars; Corner rounder by Marvy Uchida; wooden birds from Michael's; Ink by Stampin' Up; sentiment stamp by American Crafts; ribbon by American Crafts; tag from craft supply.

More "Stash" Cards

2010-01-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

A few more cards made using some of my stash. I have a LOT of patterned paper so it feels nice to start putting a dent into it.

The first two cards were made with stamps from the Kim Hughes Collection by Cornish Heritage Farms. I love the little germs! On the first card, the patterned paper is from "Backyard" by American Crafts. The ribbon on both cards is American Crafts. The dry embossing on the second card is the Candycane folder by Cuttlebug.

This card was made with my stash of "The Menagerie" from Dream Street Papers. I put some diamond glaze on the heart to give it some depth and shine.

I love this card! Super cute for a little guy, I think. The stamps are from Recollections and the patterned paper is from Scenic Route. The image was coloured with RoseArt pencil crayons.

Happy Tuesday!

American Crafts "Craft Fair" paper

2010-01-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

Someone on SCS mentioned a new year's resolution that I thought was neat - make 100 cards or layouts before buying ANY more product. Great idea, I though... but let's be realistic. I know that as soon as Cosmo Cricket or October Afternoon comes out with a new line, it doesn't matter if I have 1 or 1000 cards made; I need to buy that line.

That said, though, it was a great push to at least START to use my stash... even if I just make an effort to use more product than I buy, it's moving in the right direction.

I started into my stash today with the Craft Fair line of paper by American Crafts. I picked up a few boxes of AC paper on clearance at Michael's a while ago- 60 sheets for $10 or $15, how can you go wrong?! But that's a lot of paper... so I better get a move on.

All paper on these cards is by American Crafts "Craft Fair." Other supplies listed.

Cardstock and ink by Stampin' Up; rub-on by October Afternoon.

Cardstock by Bazzil; ink by Stampin' Up; punches by EK Success.

Cardstock and ink by Stampin' UP, rub-on by Dream Street.

Cardstock and ink by Stampin' Up; letter stickers by American Crafts; safety pin (on "t") by Making Memories.

I hope this inspires you to use some of your stash! Leave a comment and let me know what you're doing to put a dent in all of the product that we all tend to accumulate.

More cards!

2010-01-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

A few more cards... mom and I continued our marathon today!

Card making day

2009-12-31T16:08:00.000-08:00

My mom came over today to get a jumpstart on next year's Christmas cards - she's ahead of the game, eh? I was helping her out for a bit. I made this reindeer card and ended up keeping it for myself, it was so cute! I made two more for my mom, but this one is MINE!

This one is made from Stampin' Up kraft cardstock, Bazzil offwhite cardstock, October Afternoon patterned papers (from the Very Merry and Good Cheer collections), Cornish Heritage Farms stamps (christmas collection by Kim Hughes), American Crafts ribbon, and a chipboard tree. Rudolph's nose was embossed with Stampendous red glitter embossing powder.

This card was heavily inspired by a card I found on SplitCoastStampers.com. The cardstock is Recollections and Bazzil, the patterned paper is October Afternoon (Report Card and Hometown collections), the stamps are from Cornish Heritage Farms (Kim Hughes collection) and the ribbon is Dots & Dashes. The pie was coloured in with RoseArt pencil crayons.

Happy new year! Have a safe and enjoyable evening ringing in 2010. See you next year!

Miscellaneous Cards

2009-12-25T19:59:00.000-08:00

I gave each set of my parents a set of boxed cards as part of their Christmas gift. My mom, in particular, is always asking me to make cards for her to give to people so I thought this year, I'd make her a boxed set of her own. There was a nice variety of occasional cards and a few blank notecards in each one.

These are a few of my favourites.

This wedding card is one of my favourites; I think I've made about four different versions of this that are all very similar. I love the combination of red, white, and black as well as the simple design. The papers here are by Heidi Grace (polka dot) and Pebbles Inc. (wedding paper.) The cardstock is from Bazzil. The "Congratulations" stamp is from Stampin' Up. I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig to ensure the sentiment would be straight. All in all, a very simple card to make.

This is another one of my favourites, but I apologize for the quality of the picture. I was using my husband's camera and the flash is kind of overpowering. I love this stamp set from the Kim Hughes Collection by Cornish Heritage Farms. The cardstock is from Bazzil and the patterned paper is from one of those value-packs from Costco. The dark blue cardstock was embossed with the Tiny Bubbles embossing folder from Cuttlebug. The ribbon is from craft supply.

I love this one, too. I really hesitated to give this card away! The design was heavily inspired by a card from Debbie Olson on the Cosmo Cricket gallery. The paper is from Cosmo Cricket (from The Boyfriend collection. The cardstock is from Bazzil, the buttons are from my sewing kit, and the clip is from Making Memories. The edge punch is Fiskars and the corner rounder is Marvy Uchida. This card makes me feel happy all over!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!

Cheers,

Shannon

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Scrap Yard Cards! Here are a few of the cards I'll be giving to family today and tomorrow.

Supplies: Shimmer cardstock by Bazzil; crinkle paper from an unknown source; patterned paper by Heidi Grace; felt snowflake by Hero Arts; bling brad by Bazzil; corner rounder by Marvy Uchida; dry embossing Snowflakes folder by Cuttlebug.

Supplies: Cardstock by Bazzil; snowflake diecuts by Cricut; dry embossing Snowflakes folder by Cuttlebug; silver "let it snow" rub-on by American Crafts; jewels by Hero Arts.

Supplies: Cardstock by Bazzil; patterned paper by Bo Bunny (polka dot only) and American Crafts (from the Merrymint Collection); stamp by American Crafts; ribbon from craft supply; scalloped edge punch by Stampin' Up; circle punch by EK Success.

Supplies: Cardstock by Bazzil, patterned paper by American Crafts (from the Merrymint Collection); snowflake stamp by Stampin' Up; embossing powder by Whisper; edge punch by EK Success; ribbon from craft supply.

Have a SAFE and HAPPY holiday!

Cheers,
Shannon

Inspired by... Sketch #1

2009-12-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

I saw this sketch a while ago on http://www.iheart2stamp.com and fell in love with it. It's got a nice modern style and I love layering paper.

I created a few cards using this sketch as inspiration. I thought it was time I put a dent in my stash of October Afternoon paper- OA is one of my favourite companies and I'm always hesitant to cut into it!

This first card is from the Farm Fresh line.

These next two were made with the Night Light collection. I love this line; I don't have kids (and truth be told, don't really like kids...) but the papers intended for little boys just slay me. They're so adorable!

I also made cards with the Road Map collection and the Weathervane collection. I think Weathervane is still my favourite October Afternoon line ever.

The kraft cardstock and the inks (Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Night of Navy) are from Stampin' Up. All other supplies (patterned paper, wild cards, rub-ons) are from October Afternoon.

If you create anything from this sketch, I'd love to see it- leave a link in the comments!

Cheers,

Shannon

Welcome to Scrap Yard Cards

2009-12-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

This blog is simply a place to showcase my paper crafts. I like to work from small pieces and scraps, mostly creating cards, hence the name of the blog! Please say hello and leave your comments and links. I love reading the blogs of other crafting for ideas and inspiration, so please feel free to share your work with me!

Cheers and Enjoy!
Shannon