Card-a-Copia: Back to School

The guy I am in teacher-lust with will be teaching elsewhere this year, which makes me very sad.  When I grow up as a teacher, I want to be him.  I made this little card to wish him well this school year.  It didn't photograph very well, but I think it'll look better if you click to view it.

Stamps:  Pencil Girl digi stamp (Sassy Cheryl)
Inks:  Copics
Paper:  Summer Sun, Bordering Blue, and Basic Black (Stampin' Up!), orange (Core d'inations)
Misc.:  ribbon (unknown), computer-generated sentiment






School begins in two days.  Where did the summer go?  I swear, once I turned 40, I lost all my motivation.  This getting old really sucks.  And on that note, I leave you crafting teachers with this little thought:

Card-a-Copia :Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues

Where did my drive go?  I have no energy to do anything of consequence, no creativity, no interest in a book, no nuttin'!  I eeked out two cards today and ran a load of laundry.  Good lord!

I'm running out of summer...one week left of freedom.  I was in the classroom last week to get somethings ready and enjoyed chatting with students, but I wish I had more free time.  How can two months go by so quickly?

Here's the first of my designs:

Stamps:  Daphne on Her Floatie Bear (Eat Cake Graphics)
Paper:  Barefoot & Bliss (BoBunny), orange (Core d'inations), Summer Sun (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento), Copics
Misc.:  Nestabilities, mounting dots






And here's the second, a 70th birthday card for my mom:

Stamps:  Oh Hell No digital stamp (Hello That's Fabulous)
Paper:  Caroline Pennyroyale Collection (Kaisercraft), Cameo Coral and Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Copics, Creamy Caramel (Stampin' Up!)
Misc.: rhinestones (Recollections) 







Finally, a little something to cap off the post today:

Card-a-Copia: It's the Fourth Again...UGH!

"Fortunately" for everyone, the Fourth of July is on a Wednesday this year; meaning that it's possible to celebrate the weekend BEFORE the official holiday or the weekend  AFTER the official holiday.  Great fun.  Really.

Bianca, who is recovering from her hip surgery, goes ballistic with all the loud noises and can't be comforted into quiet.  The only reprieve comes at night when I have the fan on and she snuggles under the covers.
  

Let it be over soon!

And if the noise bothers Bianca, her barking REALLY sets off the newest member of the house, Ragamuffin...Muffin, for short.  It  was a big adoption day at the rescue facility and this little girl, about one year old, just snuggled into my neck when I picked her up.  What was I going to do?  Leave her there?

I can't imagine anyone letting her go, even through she has absolutely NO manners and runs and jumps all the time - she literally bounds across the backyard when she's excited.

Here's this year's patriotic card.  I'm not embarrassed to admit that I totally love it.  It is, of course, going to reach the recipients well after the holiday, but I think they'll still appreciate it. 





Stamps: Waiting for the Parade digital stamp (Mo Manning)
Papers: Forrest Outdoors (Love, Elsie), Red, White & Blue "Summertime Fun" (We R Memory Keepers), red (Cor d'inations), Basic Black (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Copics, clear Gelly Roll (Sakura)
Misc.: mesh ribbon (May Arts), badge and tickets (We R Memory Keepers), glitter brads (unknown)

Card-a-Copia: More and More

Making up for lost time, this post will feature some old and new stuff.  First, here's the Mother's Day card I made for Mom this year.  I bought a lot of the paper with the words on it thinking how useful it would be...uh, not so much!  This card was my second attempt at making something with it.  The remainder may find itself being donated!

The digital image, "We Love You Mommy," from Lori Designs was modified to make the image in yellow into a girl.  I went with an odd-side ponytail, but it looks a little wonky.  Ah, well, it's my sister - wonky is as wonky does!

Stamps: "We Love You Mommy" digi stamp (Lori Designs)

Paper:  unknown from Joann's

Inks:  Copics

Misc.:  pink ribbon (Michael's), white ribbon (Stampin' Up!), oval Nestability (Spellbinder's), pink Stickles

Here's another great one from Eat Cake Graphics.  It's a pool party invitation, but could be changed out for any summer event or even an all-occasion card.  Love the color combination for summer!


Stamps:  Go Froggie Go (Eat Cake Graphics)
Paper:  Strawberry Lemonade (Basic Grey), Whoo-Ligans (Bo Bunny), green (Core d'inations)
Inks:  Copics
Misc.:  circle Nestabilities, scallop border punch (Stampin' Up!), ribbon (Michaels), Crystal Effects (Stampin' Up!), computer generated sentiments




Miss Bianca goes in for her hip surgery this coming week and will be in "rehab" for 6-8 weeks.  Keeping her still so the incision can heal will be a major challenge since she's such a wiggle butt!  Update to come!

Card-a-Copia: Summer's Here!

Sheesh!  What a long school year.  Old age and new dog also added to the exhaustion of the past few months.  I am always amazed at the people who work all day and still manage to come home and get their creative on; this is SOOO not how it works at my house!

As of this afternoon, I am a free woman for the next umpteen weeks.  I sat down at the craft table and rocked out the following 5 X 5 card.  The image is from Eat Cake Graphics (Pearl Enjoys Ice Cream) and features some paper I didn't think out very well as I was stamping!  (Those circles are just a little too prefectly placed for my comfort!)  Fortunately it doesn't look really "naughty" at the end of the day!  Click the pictures for a closer look at the shiny ice cream!

Stamps:  Pearl Enjoys Ice Cream (Eat Cake Graphics)

Papers: Georgia-Pacific covestock, White-Out Collection (W R Memory Keepers), Bittersweet "Crushed Berry" and Green at Heart "Pea" (Basic Grey)  

Inks:  Copics

Misc.:  large floral embellishment (My Mind's Eye), flower punch, Crystal Effects, and eyelets (Stampin' Up!), computer generated sentiment (Rebekah's Birthday font)

And...
MORE TO COME!

Card-a-Copia: Post-Dog Crafting

As some of you know, I recently adopted a rescue dog and BOY, has my life changed!  Here's a photo of Bianca after her first grooming.  She was so matted on the back end, the groomer had to shave her down.  She's good on her leash and has almost learned "Stay."  (Not doing too great with not barking at/chasing the cats, but that will come when I better know how to train her!)  She currently has a dislocated hip that may require surgery.  I'm waiting to hear back from the vet to know about that.

Because she's a rescue dog, I don't know anything for sure about her, but here's what I THINK:


1.  She is about two years old.
2.  She's a poodle mix.
3.  When she's actually got hair, she's white.  (Hence the name:  Bianca means white in Italian.


Here's the "bounty" of the past three weeks, which is especially feeble given the new addition.  Apologies for the photos, I have TRIED and TRIED to take a good picture with this fancy, expensive new phone I bought, and it just isn't working very well.  (But, thank you, Sparkle Smith, for helping me learn a few new things about the process today!)



Stamp: This Little Piggy Had Chardonnay (Suzanne Urban - Squigglefly)
Ink:  Copics
Cardstock: unknown pre-designed cards
Misc.: green hemp (unknown), yellow rhinestones (Michael's)

Card-a-Copia: I'm in recovery

Several nights of good sleep and afternoon naps have helped restore some of my missing mojo!  I have, however, discovered that I'm stuck in primary colors right now.  I will be hiding the primary colors tomorrow and moving on to some pastels and  something grungy!

Stamps:  Cupcake the Dog (Eat Cake Graphics)
Paper:  Splash Sunshine (Echo Park), It's My Party Time and It's My Party Cut-Ups (Bo-Bunny)
Inks:  Copics
Misc.: dragonback paper edgers 

Stamps:  Bella Carrying the Cake (Mo Manning)

Inks:  Copics
Papers: Hip-Hooray Boy Party Paper (My Mind's Eye) and Splash Sunshine and Fish (Echo Park), Basic Black (Stampin' Up!)
Misc:  blue pom-pom, computer-generated sentiment

Stamps:  Edna Wedgewurt Yells (Eat Cake Graphics)
Inks:  Copics
Papers:  card base (Georgia-Pacific), Deena's Penny Lane Feeling Groovy (My Mind's Eye), green grid (Bo Bunny), red (Core'dinations)  
Misc.:  twine (Whisker Graphics)

Card-a-Copia: Are you kidding? ONE card?

It was a lovely day with my Saturday Stamping and Scrapping buddies.  Mojo was in the air.  Not in the air I was breathing it seems, but it was in the air!

So, eight hours later, here's what I had to show for my day - that's right, ONE card.  BUT it's a pretty fun card!  I'm hoping that my mojo shows up today.  (Surely it was the pall of my uncompleted income tax that had hampered me yesterday, which shouldn't be the problem today now that I've done my civic duty!)

Stamp: Tandem Lady Bugs (Monica Estill - Squigglefly)
Ink:  Copics
Paper: Hip-Hooray Boy Party Paper (My Mind's Eye) and Splash Sunshine and Fish (Echo Park), Basic Black (Stampin' Up!)
Misc.:  brads (Stampin' Up!) 

Card-a-Copia: A Recipe for Stamping Together Divas

Oh. My. Word.  I can't believe how long it took for Spring Break to get here.  I'm just EXHAUSTED and need to recharge so I can go find my mojo!  I'm on my way this morning to meet with a hypnotherapist to see if hypnosis can help me with my eating habits and ultimately provide me with better health and better sleep.  It's pricey but if it works, it'll be worth it!

Here's the card I'm contributing to the Stamping Together Diva's Crafty Contagion 3-2-1 Recipe challenge - 3 patterned papers, 2 ribbons, and 1 punch.  I kind of cheated with the patterned papers because they are designed to go together, but given my lack of mojo, I thought it would be better than what I might put together independently!

Stamps:  "Wonderful" sentiment (Stampin' Up!)

Papers: Only Orange and Old Olive (Stampin' Up!), Bloom & Grow patterns (My Mind's Eye)

Inks:  Copics, Only Orange (Stampin' Up!)

Misc.:  corner punch (Stampin' Up!), ribbon (Michael's), twine (Whisker Graphics), handmade flower, brad (Stampin' Up!)

Card-a-Copia: Thanks You's and So On

I'm always amazed at how much I need another break after the holiday break in December.  I guess I just have one of those jobs that sucks the life out of ya.  My weekend crafting moments are few and far between this time of year, so I'm really looking forward to Spring Break.  I've got some housework planned and lots of crafty time.  Until then, though, I'll keep trying to find a time to stamp between loads of laundry and lesson planning!

This weekend, I knocked out two designs.  This digital image, called "girl with thank you bunting" is a fund-raiser from Claire Keay's JellyPark.  I wanted to go with bold and fell back into one of my usual color combos.  Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Stamp:  Girl with Thank You Bunting (JellyPark)
Inks:  Copics
Paper:  black and orange (Stampin' Up!), green (Cored'inations), scraps
Misc.:  plastic flower (unknown), fibers (Making Memories), photo corner punch (Stampin' Up!), brad (American Crafts), computer-generated sentiment 





I also made a super-easy card that features an image from Eat Cake Graphics called Tiny Toby.  The card base with the window opening is pre-made - got them free from a gal on FreeCycle - so the hardest part of the card was making the insert the correct size and moderately interesting.  The window could be created quite easily, though, and adds a nice element to the card.

The sentiment is computer-generated and I created some thank you's, some birthday's, and some general sentiments (seen here) to be able to quickly pull a card together.  After I photographed the card, I went back and added Crystal Effects to the eyeballs for a little extra punch!

Stamps:  Tiny Toby (Eat Cake Graphics)
Inks:  Copics
Paper:  unknown
Misc.:  rhinestones (Recollections), ribbon (May Arts)

This will probably do it for another week.  Sigh.  Hopefully I'll come up with something a bit more complex and a bit more creative next weekend.  (Or we could have a horrible March snowstorm, canceling school for several days, so I can spend a couple extra days relaxing...)

Card-a-Copia: Spring Stuff

Love, love, love that it is light when I go to work and light when I leave work.  (Which, of course, will be changing this weekend when we switch to Daylight Savings time!)  The redbud trees are about to pop open and I'm seeing dainty little daffodils swaying in the breeze.  

Must be time for a late-season ice storm, right?  (Yeah, it's the glass-half-empty side of me  "springing" up again!)

This card is designed for Stamping Together Diva's "Crafty Contagion" Spring challenge.  Loved the paper and went on a serious safari for a lop-eared bunny to go with it.  (You can't really tell, but there are bunnies sprinkled throughout the paper.)  Success!



Stamps:  Bunny Wabbit (Clear Dollar Stamps)
Inks:  Copics
Paper:  greens:  Core'dinations, Lollia "Large Plaid"  (SandyLion), bunny paper...I'll get back to ya!
Misc.:  ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Nestabilities

Card-a-Copia: The Luck o' the Irish and a Big Dog

I always wanted to be more Irish than I actually am, and not just so I can legitimately drink green beer on March 17th!  So, to make up for the genetic miscalculation perpetrated by my parents, I make cards for St. Patrick's Day.  This year's offering is based on a digi by Some Odd Girl -Tiny Tia.

Stamp:  Tiny Tia digi stamp (Some Odd Girl), clover in speech bubble (Michaels)
Ink:  Copics
Paper:  Denim Clover, Denim Geometric, Denim Dots, Denim Stripes "Lucky Me" (Yellow Bicycle)
Misc.:  rhinestones (Queen & Co.), clover pin (unknown), ribbon (Artco)





What's not to like about Eat Cake Graphics?  I mean really, those images are just so darned cute and evoke memories we can all identify with.  (Seriously, if you are a cat and haven't actually flown on an extra large flashlight, wouldn't you dream of doing just that?)

Stamps: Sparky's a Big Dog (Eat Cake Graphics) 
Inks:  Copics,  Tea Dye distress ink (Tim Holtz)
Paper:  Max & Whiskers "Goldie/Max (Basic Grey), black and red (Cor'dinations)
Misc.:  heart brad (unknown), baker's twine (Whisker Graphics), rhinestone (Recollections)

Card-a-Copia: More love crap

Yes, it is a mystery as to why I design well-more Valentine cards than I will ever use.  Thank you for asking.  So, to slip further into the mire of Valentine's Day sweetness, here are a few more cards.

This card is a 5 1/2" square card that will definitely cost more in postage because of that beautiful red heart charm that was originally a pair of earrings.  I bought out nearly all the store had when they were going out of business, so expect to see red, clear and green heart charms embellishing cards for many years to come!

Stamps:  "My Heart" digi (D'Arcy's Diaries)
Ink:  Copics
Paper:  black (Stampin Up!), Persuasion Cut Outs "A Gift of  Love" (Bo Bunny)
Misc.:  ribbon (unknown), rhinestones (Michael's), heart charm (The Dollar Store)






This cute project uses Sophie Willoughby and Her Letter, a wonderful image by Eat Cake Graphics.  I used part of a sticky note to cover the reference to Santa and wrote a Valentine greeting in the resulting empty space.  Inside the tin are envelopes with Valentine coupons.  (This would be a much more meaningful project for me if I actually had a human dude to give it to.  The cats just don't get Valentine's Day...)

Stamps:  Sophie Willoughby and Her Letter (Eat Cake Graphics)
Ink:  Copics
Paper: A Gift of Love "Heart Throb" (Bo-Bunny)
Misc.  ribbon (Stampin' Up!) sticker (Stampendous), computer-generated coupon

Card-a-Copia: RCC39 and Crafty Contagion Flying Thing

This card is designed for the "flying things" challenge at Crafty Contagion and the "Anything Goes" challenge at Ribbon Carousel Challenge.  The image is a baby angel from LiaStampz.  (Please click on it to see it in much better color!)

Stamps:  Charm (digi stamp from LiaStampz)
Ink: Copics
Paper:  red and green (Core'Dinations),  stars (American Crafts)
Misc.:  ribbon (Michaels), Stickles, stars and sentiment (K & Co.), Nestabilities, baker's twine (Whisker Graphic)

Card-a-Copia: Eat Cake Graphics Birthday Book

Loving these clever images from Eat Cake Graphics!  I created this birthday reminder book featuring this little fellow who is wearing a party hat I embellished with baker's twine.  I added a computer-generated sentiment. 




Stamps: Cupcake the Dog (Eat Cake Graphics)
Ink:  Copics
Paper:  Hoop-La (Rubber Soul), Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise (Stampin' Up)
Misc.:  mini composition notebook (Staples), ribbon (Stampin' Up), baker's twine (Whisker Graphics), circle dies (Nestabilities)





I added computer-generated monthly tabs for each month.

Card-a-Copia: Love and all that other love crap

Finally, February is upon us!  I'm so excited for Valentine's Day to come and go.  I enjoy making Valentine's Day cards, but that's pretty much the end of it.  I have a couple more designs to share before "the big day," so there's more to come!

This first card was started about a year ago.  I could never figure out how to finish it in a way that was pleasing to the eye.  Finally, I put on some ribbon and a tag that filled some of the empty space at the top of the card and, voila, it looked finished!  (Because this was started so long ago, I may not remember all the details about the card.)

Stamps:  "Who Loves You" digi (Tiddly Inks)
Paper:  card base (Georgia-Pacific), brown (Core'dinations), 
Ink:  Copics
Misc.:  nestabilities, ribbon (Michael's), baker's twine (Whisker Graphics), punch (Martha Stewart)








This next card is a no-stamping card.  I cut the circles and added them onto the card and the hearts I punched.  The belt is paper cut from leftover background paper.

Stamps:  none
Paper:  white card base (Georgia-Pacific), Purely Pomegranate (Stampin' Up!) and blue (Core'Dinations), Vintage Valentine "Valentine Strips" (Fancy Pants Designs)
Ink: Purely Pomegranate 
Misc.:  circle Nestabilities, doily die (MFT), heart punch (Stampin' Up!), heart buttons (Pebbles), buckle (CTMH), sponge



I used the altered doily approach again on this card.  I  like the "airiness" it gives to the image.  I also hand-cut the clouds and created the sentiment on the computer.  I'm entering his image into Stamp, Scrap, and Doodles "Have a Heart" Challenge.

Stamps: "High-Flyin' Mouse" digi (Rick St. Dennis)
Paper: Core'dinations
Ink: Copics
Misc.: MFT doily die, baker's twine (Whisker Graphics), heart brad (Making Memories)