baby bee

I just had to try Jeni's circle card challenge this week. It was so much fun! I've been dying to use the bee tree from the new March Monthly Mix set and I thought it would make such a cute baby card! I've been needing a baby girl card for a friend. So I used my favorite girl color combination... pink and orange with a little yellow. And then for the sentiment I improvised a little... I snapped off the "friend" at the end of the sentiment and printed out "Baby Girl." I attached the front and the back of the card with a brad so that it kind of swivels open... and I just put the button on top of the brad with some ribbon.


Here's what the back of the card looks like...






I love that cute little honey pot! I must have had bees on the mind when I was helping to design this set. I think it's because bees remind me of Spring. Definately have had Spring on the mind!

Try making a circle card... it's a lot of fun! Shaped cards are kind of the in thing right now I think... I'll be making more of them. (Oh and did you notice more stitching on this card? It's not perfect but it just adds to that "homemade" feel... ;)

design team challenge

Today we are having a Design Team challenge over on Lizzie Anne...and it's based on the sketch I posted on Monday with a peek-a-boo window. I made two cards...and these are the cards I mentioned in my post below with more STITCHING! Yeah! I'm so proud. I just keep stroking that beautiful stitching on my card....real thread feels so good. :)

I used some new Basic Grey paper and embellishments on this card below and combined it with a flower from the From the Heart Monthly Mix set, and a sentiment from Card Quotations.









This next card uses one my favorite new birthday sets... Banner Birthday. You just get a little peek of the banner through the window and then when you open the card, the whole "Happy Birthday" is there. I made just a few of the flags on the banner different colors. I think it's fun!









Make sure to go to the Lizzie Anne blog today for a list of other Design Team members participating in the challenge!

I sewed!

I have been saying how much I love how stitching looks on cards forever. I've been doing "fake" stitching forever but have always wanted to do the real thing.

For Christmas, Santa (me) brought me a Janome Mini sew machine! I've been staring at it on my craft table for almost two months now. It's the needle...it scares me! I know you seasoned seamstresses out there are laughing at me right now, but I have vivid memories of getting my finger stuck in my sewing machine during Home Ec class in the 8th grade...so don't laugh. Okay laugh a little. :)



Finally last night I decided it was TIME! I got it to work and I am so excited, I made three cards with stitching on them! This is one of them...I've been wanting to try the "gathered-ribbon with stitching" look. I just love it. This card features the tulips in the February Monthly Mix set. You'll notice it has no sentiment...I did that on purpose...sometimes I need a blank card and then I customize it later if I know what kind of sentiment I need. The other two I will be showing next Wednesday when we have our Lizzie Anne Design Team Challenge! I am loving the stitching. I will probably be too chicken to change the thread color for awhile now that I have it working...so you will see a lot of brown stitching from me. But it's a start!

sun + cupcakes = good

I had a wonderful day yesterday. It involved cupcakes, cardmaking, and sun. It's hard to have a bad day when cupcakes and stamping are involved!

I made this card and some cupcakes for a friend's birthday. I've been dying to use the mixer in our new In the Kitchen stamp set...I have to say, I think this is one of my favorite stamp sets ever. It makes me smile. The cupcake stuff is from Wilton and look how it matches the little cupcake on the card...they both have a heart on the top! They tasted good too. I always make my own frosting...there is nothing better than homemade buttercream frosting. I should have added a workout to my day after all the cupcakes and frosting I ate. :)




We have been having absolutely gorgeous weather here in Seattle the past few days...and the weather forecast says more sun coming! Those of you who think it rains all winter in Seattle, eat your heart out. :) This is unusual... we haven't had any snow at all this year (down where the people live.) My kids were hoping for some sledding time but I'm not complaining. This is a photo of the view from my front porch. So lovely. I feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.



Look at this tree branch...are those spring buds I see?! Could it be we are getting an early spring? I hope so!