Two Years Old...but finally a First Communion Photo Frame

I think you all saw the post prior to this one...little Lily who was almost 8 receiving her First Communion and when I decided to make a picture frame into a craft project, I knew I would have to dig out a picture of Ellie and do one for her also...so here it is...

Just to make it a little different, I used some versamark and white embossing powder with the PTI Fancy Flourishes.  I added some of the die cut Flower Fusion and stamped them with plum pudding and sweet blush...I added a Beautiful Bloom die in the corner...You can certainly tell these two girls are sisters...their smile is almost identical!!

A First Communion Project

I started this project back in May, then it was put on hold and all sorts of things got piled on top of it.  Since I am reorganizing the "studio"...I uncovered it and decided to finish it right then and there...This is my little granddaughter Lily who had her first communion last May...now I need to make one for her older sister Ellie...that was two years ago when she had her first communion!

The picture frame is from Michael's, I typed the bible verse and printed it out...then I die cut some leaves from Turning a New Leaf (PTI) and added some die cut and stamped flowers...Flower Fusion #7.  The date is stamped in the bottom and I added some little pearl blings to the bottom right corner.

Card Donations Needed - A Service Project

I am back again with another card for the breast cancer survivors...actually I made 4 all the same and will send them off to Kathy for her service project.  These women need a lot of encouragement and congratulations for hanging in there and fighting for their lives...if you want to check it out or make some for this cause here is where to go:
http://www.mypinkstamper.com/2011/08/card-donations-needed-great-service.html

This little silhouette is from the PTI stamp set "Iconic Images"...it was given to all the ladies who attended the Stamping "A" Faire this summer in Cincinnati.  I kept the card really simple..I actually cased the card from my BFF, Linda...the sentiment is from the Year of the Flowers collection...and it is the perfect sentiment for these awesome ladies...You are AMAZING!!

Garden Basket for Auction

I am donating some "gardening" items for a church auction...I loved the stamp set "Garden Variety" so much, I decided to make a basket with that theme and to also give the recipient some cards...so check out what will go into the basket:

A cute little watering can that is also a hook!  Great idea for the Mud Room!

A very cute little boot that can be used as a planter...how cute to have a little ivy growing out of this boot!

I love little birds in the garden...and this one doesn't need any food!

Always need another trowel and shovel!

And of course the purple gardening gloves are a must!

Hopefully these will get planted before the rains...but what joy come spring!

And of course, once you are done with the hard work, a little Bee Clean and some lotion for the hands!!

A little Garden Variety here...I colored the Morning glories with copics, added a little lace and used the doily edgers...the sentiment inside says:  True friends are RARE & PRECIOUS TREASURES TO KEEP FOREVER.

I love this little watering can with the plants coming out of it...inside says, Thinking of You

I used the picket fence and the seed packet die, inside the die is a little treat- a free frozen yogurt!  I colored the sweet peas with colored pens and used a blending solution for blending and shading.

Cas'd a card made by Nichole...

another little watering can...I used a cane impression plate and then stamped and embossed with clear embossing powder for the Hello Friend!

I may look for a couple of other goodies to go in the basket...maybe a kneeling pad!!  I am sure whoever bids on this will enjoy all the little gardening goodies!

Garden Variety

Well, you know how it is when you have a vision in your mind of a card...and it doesn't quite turn out the way it looked in your head...that is this card...I was taking a spin off Nichole's card where she had flowers coming out of the top of the "garden gloves"...I was thinking, okay, now how about some grass, like the gloves are laying in the grass and to be honest now, I was thinking of the children's story where the grandmother knits mittens for her grandson and one gets lost out in the snow and all these animals go into the glove to keep warm...it is a very cute story...so my thought was that flowers could start growing out of the gloves as they are laying in the grass...and so I stamped some grass and added some flowers...then I added a strip of vellum with grass and flowers stamped on that and I tried playing with the position of the gloves and it just didn't turn out how I wanted it to...and I also wanted to add the watering can...but the dimensions didn't seem to fit...so scratch that whole idea (at least for now), I added a picket fence...just one, cut in half...kind of like a gate opening...then I put the trowel and little fork into the "ground", and one leaning against the fence...that is it!  I used a sentiment from the Tag It's #3 and I also used the sunshine impression plate and with a sponge, I added some yellow color to the top half and a little blue on the lower half...well, that is it...

Make It Monday #29: Freestyle Copic Coloring

I guess I do have a problem coloring "outside the lines" ...so I took creative license to just make lines with my copics and then stamp the words "Thank You" many times...Let me tell bout the inspiration for this card:  I bring communion to senior citizens who are either home bound, or live in a retirment facility and cannot get out (easily, anyways) to go to Church on Sundays.  This ministry is a real blessing for me...but I seem to have a very special place in my heart for our senior citizens (and some are very "senior"...like nearing 100!!).  The retirement center I was at today has a 'chapel' where most are able to gather...and in the entry of this chapel was a lovely picture in a frame...it had many verses from the bible on it and then it had random blocks of color not unlike what I did here...it struck me that it was not only beautiful with the rainbows of colors, but the verses were so uplifting.  When I got home, I thought to myself...hmmm....how about a card like that, but only using a simple phrase:  thank you....sometimes that is all that is needed to say...thank you...for being there, for being my friend, for laughing with me, crying with me, baring my heart and soul to you...a friend...

 All paper and all sentiments are from many PTI stamp sets...including the little tag from Tiny tags!!

One more card for the Service Project

If you scroll down and read a few of the posts, you will see that I am sending some cards to a very worthy cause...a gathering of 1500 Women who are either fighting breast cancer or who have beat the odds...these cards are for them...one at each place setting...

This one says Congrats to YOU...right off the bat...and the sentiment inside says:  "In every ordinary day there are a thousand miracles"...and these ladies are miracles, aren't they? 

One more card for the Service Project

If you have been following along, I am sending a few cards to a gathering of nearly 1500 women who are either facing the battle of fighting breast cancer...or they have survived the battle and are their to lend support and hope to others.  Kathy Mortl from Wisconsin is hoping to have a special homemade card at each place setting...what a wonderful tribute to those ladies.  God bless them all...

Another card for the Project Service

If you scroll down you will read what this service project is all about...it is about Women who are battling breast cancer or who are the survivors...1500 women will be gathering and the hope is that at each place setting there will be a card for that woman...

The sentiment says Live simply, Love much...I think that is what all cancer survivors do...they cherish life and know the value of it and of relationships...

Card Donations...Service Project

I was looking through my "bookmarks" and ran across this blog that I had saved: http://www.mypinkstamper.com/  This is what I read:

 

"I really need your help along with the your followers. Long story short. I am a nurse at the Medical of WI in Plastic and Reconstruction dept. We specialize in the forefront in reconstruction for breast cancer. Women from all over the country come to us.  This year I/we decided to sponsor the breakfast for breast cancer survivors. 1500 women who have had breast cancer or who are actively dealing with it now will attend this breakfast before the run/walk.

Every year prior to this year I have made something for the women and handed it out at the end of the race/walk. To my astonishment people would be grabbing-pushing aside other women and men to get what I was handing out. Ex: white and pink chocolate covered Oreos, wrapped pink and white M&M's mini bags. TO my astonishment again the cancer survivors really didn't receive what I made.

Well this year, the breakfast will be catered by one of the best chefs in Milwaukee. I feel it is an honor to sponsor this. Where you come in - Please if one person could make a card to support uplift make someone smile. It would make their day. The card would be placed at their seat. Please Please help! 

I would be happy to give my address if you could ask people to help me with this. Just 1 card - 1500 Pink Stamper followers. The Breakfast is on September 28th.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Mortl RN,CPSN

Kathy Mortl

10261 N Sunnycrest Drive

Mequon, WI  53092"

 

 I am going to send several cards to this project...my Mother, God rest her soul, was a Breast Cancer survivor for over 30 years.  These ladies deserve all the congratulations, love and joy that comes their way.  

These are the cards I will put in the mail for this service project: 

Make It Monday #29: Freestyle Copic Coloring

I had a crazy idea...and it is just okay...mainly because I am not an artist...but my attempt was to show a train, moving along so fast that it appeared 'blurry', if you will...so this is how it turned out:

The idea by Betsy was to use Copics in a freestyle manner...going out side the lines...so I was trying to think of something different...and I think I succeeded in "something different" for sure...!!  I used the train set and the package from Make a Wish...the grass below the train tracks is from Garden Veriety....and then of course because the train is moving so fast to get the gift to the person ASAP, I used the stamp "I think I can...I think I can all along the bottom.  Pretty crazy, huh?  Thanks for taking a look!

Time to Make Cards Finally

I had a chance to play with the Botanical Silhouettes again....most of the cards I made earlier I gave away to the OWH (Operation Write Home)...so I figured I needed some more in my stash and I totally love this stamp set...

First up is the Pink Poppies...I made 6 of them...used a little versamark on the solid pink, added a ribbon and button...I made a little box that will hold 4 with envelopes

the box has a little sliding strip ....all the cards are Thank you cards.  I will be giving these away to a church auction.

I spotted a cute little card on Debbie Olson's blog...she used the Falling leaves tree and a few apples, and the picket fence die...I of course had to add the little bitty bird!! 

Nichole Heady showcased the Garden Variety Stamp set back in May with this card..I used Year of the Flower collection, the carnation with vintage white ink, then I outlined it with the T1 copic to help Pop the flowers a bit more...I die cut a nestabilitie and stamped the trowel and fork on it...I used vellum for the sentiment and added a couple of buttons on the side.  I am putting together a "gardener's basket" for the church auction...bulbs, trowels, garden gloves etc...(I will take a picture when it is all put together) so I am making some cards to add to the basket...all on the garden theme...this one will go in the basket!

One of the Make & Take its at the Stamping A Faire in Cincinnati was this card done in Aqua Mist paper and the bird was stamped with the same color...I thought it would look great to use an assortment of colors...so I used red, melon berry and even a pink one...they look great....another collection for a box set of cards.

A few more cards from the Botanical Silhouettes ... I like adding the black outline around the cards...really helps define them...

Three Thank You bags

This weekend we are heading up to Seattle..... first up on Saturday is a Iacolucci Reunion Picnic...my dad's side of the family...his 90th birthday is in October, but we are going to surprise him with a birthday cake and celebration, seemed the right thing to do since ALL of the family will be at this event.  One of my cousins caters this event for us...He has won an award for BEST cater in the Seattle area...and of course with a name like Iacolucci you can guess the menu includes all things pasta...spaghetti, meatball...the whole nine yards!

Then...because we couldn't ignore my Mom's side of the family (she has been deceased for over 4 years now)...she has ONE remaining sister living and some cousins...so we asked if we could gather some of that clan together and see as many as we can.  My Aunt and her two daughters have planned, bought, and prepared a Sunday brunch for us...I think there will be about 30 on Sunday...my two brothers and I felt bad that we really couldn't contribute much to the food menu...so I bought some cute little garden stakes and made little gift bags for them...here they are: 

Friendship Jar: summer fillers...very cute strawberries and look at those little ants....

I wanted to use the picket fence, then added some grass and flowers behind it, couldn't resist adding Little bitty birds and once I did that, I knew I needed some bird houses...

This last one I used the new Half & Half stamp along with the water bucket from Garden Variety

Each garden stake was just a little bit different...but all very cute and I think the three ladies will LOVE this little token of our appreciation!  Thanks for looking!

A few more cards....

Did I tell you that I took a lot of pictures at the SAF?  And they were pictures of lots of cards that PTI had on display...and we were welcome to take pictures...isn't that the highest compliment of all???  So I cased some and made them when I got home...

This little bird stamp was a wooden block that Linda had...I stamped the bird and then cut it out and added dimensional tape ... I also used some Background Basics: text style for the background and I used the fern from Masculine Motif...I embossed the fern, and I
used the Half and Half die for the bird strip...

I played with the butterfly from Happy Trails...fun little color...simple and easy....!!

I totally cased these cards made by Nichole...when I grow up I want to be just like her...oh, wait, I am grown up, darn...so I guess I will just copy her work...she is amazing...and this last one with using the copics in layers turned out really fun...I love how it looks and the colors pop right out there...I used the scor-pal to make some lines at the bottom and then used a sentiment from the Signature series...

One more card to showcase...I have had this butterfly wooden stamp from Hero Arts for several years...I decided to use my "smooch" to color in all the hearts on the butterfly.  I used the PolkaDot Basics II for the background paper and the trail from Happy Trails...I stitched on the banner with the sentiment...thanks for looking, hope you are inspired!

With Sympathy

I know there has been a lot of talk about sympathy cards and how hard they are to make, especially at the time one is most needed.  So when I won a free set from PTI...from a Make It Monday post, I decided to get With Sympathy as my free set...it just arrived and I have been making some cards...to keep in my stash...some that will be ready and I won't have to think about it...

I think this is my favorite...I love the simplicity of it...I love the soft colors...I stamped the image on rustic white and backed it with fine linen..I used fine linen satin ribbon...

the inside of all the cards are stamped with the Think BIG sentiment:  With Sympathy! 

Playing with New Goodies from our trip to the SAF

In the preceding post, I mentioned getting a few new stamps sets...some were free, others were ones we purchased.  When Linda and I were back at my house, we immediately dug right into our stash...ooohing and ahhing over all our new fun goodies.  I mentioned an Archivers store...I purchased two stamp sets...one with frogs and one with a little girl...and you purchase honeycomb paper with the stamps and you cut out a shape and put it inside the card on the fold, so when it is opened, the honeycomb paper also opens...here this is what I made:

I didn't color the hair because when I used the T1 copics around the girl, it kind of looked like she had "gray" hair...so it reminded me of ME...and I was thinking I could give this card to a friend, like Linda, and it would almost totally look like me (well, okay, not totally, she does have longer hair than me...but it could be me!!  The center of the flower is the honeycomb paper...isn't that cool??

And now for the cute frog:

Aren't those the cutest ever???  I used my prisma colors and the blending solution to color the pictures mainly because you know the copics would show through to the backside of the cards!  But...the blending solution was a new find at the CHA...so had to play with that and I totally love using it!

The FREE stamp set for being at SAF is called Iconic Images and we did make several cards at the make and takes with some of the images...I really like this set...here are some cards I made once I was home:

 The pitcher in the iconic images....and a little stamp in the center of the pithcer...I did a two tone ink by doing a rock n'roll method on the pitcher

Can you tell I love this pitcher?  And I love how it looks when you use a couple of inks...kind of makes it look worn and rustic...the little flower on the side is from a strip that I purchased at Archivers...

Now for one of the little girls in MFT sets..."poppy"...I think she is so cute, and poppies are one of my favorite flowers...and I get to practice with my copics!

The background paper was stamped with Background Basics:  Music

Okay, how about a couple of more cards...my friend, Linda had purchased the Gracious Vases and she brought it along with her...which meant I got to play with it too...

Another stamp set that Linda had was Masculine Motif...so I made several cards with those stamps:

I bought some "Smooch" when we were at CHA in Chicago, just a few colors...I added some of the pearlized top coat to the dragonfly...it looks sparkly and kind of iridescent like the wings of real dragonflies, unfortunately, it doesn't show up so well in the picture!