PL Journaling Cards and Happy Mail

I busted out my new Studio Calico Weekdays stamp set.  My initial plan for this set is to use them in Project Life!  First up...custom journaling cards!

I've fallen in love with Studio Calico!  (sigh)  Their stuff is really Project Life friendly. 

And...happy  mail...an order from PTI, arrived today!  OMG!  FARM SET!  Hello?!?  Chevron die?  eeeeee!  Scrapbook pages for the farm scrapbook!  COW die!  HELLO?  How could I pass that up? 

I'm planning to use the chevron die to...ahem...counterfeit some patterned paper I have fallen in love with over at Studio Calico.  Can't justify purchasing a WHOLE add-on kit just for the paper, now, can I?  LOL.  The big die at the top is a barn...with functioning doors!  LOL.  The bottom die is an A-2 envelope liner. 

Have you gotten any good stuff lately?

Phillip @ 13

A western themed photo...taken at the age of 13.  I dug out some SU! Outlaw DSP, and paired it with some Chocolate Chip and PTI Ocean Tides.  I'm pulling out the "antique green / gray" in the background of the photo as I do not want to compete with the red shirt. 

Green and red are complementary colors - they are opposite each other on the color wheel and they bring out the best in each other. Kind of like best friends! They are high energy colors, but this subdued green doesn't compete with the red. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Quick Thank You

Just a quick post to show ya a quick thank you.

I am making thank you cards for ny niece's baby shower...I already had an idea in my idea book...then I hopped over to Nicole Heady's blog to check out the Stamp-A-Faire posts...and saw THIS challenge.

Clean, simple & quick!  Plenty of space for a personal note to be written inside. 

This was NOT my original plan, but did I mention, it was clean, simple & quick.  LOL.   I'm using supplies on hand - my new PTI Text Style Big & Bold Wishes and my new SU! Nursery Additions. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have  moo'valous day!

Paper & Pockets - Part 2

This is the pocket part.  In yesterday's post, Paper & Pockets, I shared my faux spiral notebook paper.  I needed that pocket die so I could slip in the paper.  I need another hole in my head, too.

I discovered that library pockets are not hard to make at all.  A simple library pocket is all I needed.

My finished NON-die cut library / journaling pocket.

 How'd I get there?

Let's start with my choice of materials.  Last week, I got two boxes of letter sized manila file folders at Office Depot...FREE after Rewards.  YAY! for free craft stuff!

Free after rewards!

Guess I best start cutting these up!

Library pocket dimensions, cutting & scoring guidelines.

 Simple cutting, scoring, snipping and taping.

So...put 'em together and whaddaya got?

Bibbity bobbity

Bibbity bobbity

Bibbity bobbity

BOOOOO!

Goodness!  I love 'em! 

Not boo...I do like Cinderella...who says shoes can't change ya life!?  Anyhoo...yay, for shoes changing your life...and for NON die cut library pockets!  I can decorate them and journal...looking forward to using these in my SMASH book and to using the same idea to create journaling cards / pockets for my son's baby book! 

So, in two days, I've effectively talked myself out of THREE PTI purchases:  (1) the spiral notebook paper die, (2) the library pocket die, (3) and the stamp set that stamps the lines on the paper. 

Supplies.

Whacha think?

Thanks for stopping by! Have a moo'valous day!

Paper & Pockets

I'm always on the lookout for journaling goodies.  It's hard for me to find that thing that will get me the "most bang for my buck".  The other day, I saw something at papertreyink that I loved.  A spiral notebook page die and a library pocket die!  Oh yes! 

Then I remembered...how silly to have a DIE to cut a rectangle.  HELLO?  Got a paper cutter? 

I set out to see if I could re-create without the DIE and with my FRNs intact.  (FRN - Federal Reserve Notes).  ;-) 

First up...spiral paper.   I grabbed a couple sheets of Whisper White cardstock & started cutting.

Dimensions for the faux spiral notebook paper.

I originally planned to use SU!'s Spiral Punch...but it just didn't look right.  Then I got to looking at that die again...and the holes are circular.  Hmmmm....how do I do this?

That'll work.  Now to punch 'em out!

Here's a comparison of the circular holes vs the SU! Spiral Punch.

Ok.  I was feeling cheap...this is not looking "perfect".  WHOA!  Back up the train here!  Perfect...it's not supposed to be perfect!  Each item is not supposed to match exactly.  It's hand crafted...granted...it's not TACKY, but the whole purpose of creating is to create, right?  OK.  I keep chugging along here...still sorta pining away for that die...I'm not giving up yet.

It's gotta look like it was ripped out.

Oh yeah...the die has perforations.  I know...that "handy dandy" SU! Cutter Tool.

Ahem...now, this was a frustrating experiment.  That "handy dandy" SU! Cutter Tool, among other things, has a perforation tool.  Now, I could NOT get it to go straight, even againt a ruler.  And I chugged and I chugged...I mean, I tried and tried.  Then, I got frustrated.  Bah!

I looked at the die, again...wait a minute...is that a row of round dots?  Uh, huh.  I grabbed the stitching template and the paper piercer and poked holes.  That was fun!  It's right up there with popping bubble wrap!  :-D  Poking holes in cardstock with a paper piercer!  Fun!

Lined notebook paper needs lines.  I don't need a stamp for lines either.  I used a ruler, Bashful Blue marker and the grid on the mat from the mat stack.  And NOPE, the lines are not perfectly spaced on each one of them.  That's ok.  They still look good.

Pile of hand designed spiral notebook paper.

These will make awesome journaling cards...they are unique and they have light lines for journaling.

Supplies.

I had fun with this...now I need a pocket...I'm drooling for a pocket die.  I no longer want the spiral paper die.  Now that I know how to make my own faux spiral notebook paper, I have no desire to purchase the die nor the stamp when I have the supplies, right here, on hand. 

I'll show ya the pocket I created tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day.

Eyelets, Brads & Onesies

Remember when I went nuts with the PTI Onsie Die?

PTI Onsie Die Cut Outs

I'm making progress...all the onsies now have "snaps".  I was going to use brushed silver brads; but as I got started, I found I liked the colored and white better.  Each onsie has a sticky note that tells the DSP name and the coordinating colors.  I wanted to use "basic" brads.

Marked & punched holes for the brads.

I used eyelets on a few onsies.

Eyelet onsie "snaps"

 Most of them were decorated wtih brads.

Brad onsie "snaps"

Quite a few years ago, I particpated in a brad & eyelet share.  I received all the current SU! colors in brads & eyelets, including that year's "in-colors".  I remember it was the first year SU! had "in-colors".  The brad & eyelet share arrived in bags and unlabeled.  OMGosh!  What a pain.  I had to match up and label the brads & eyelets with the corresponding SU! color.  I stored them in these:

Brad & eyelet storage for SU! basic brads

Brad & eyelet storage - bird's eye view

Remember, these are just the "standard" brads & eyelets, in solid SU! colors.  I used a sharpie marker to label each compartment and each box.  I store these in a labeled photo box.

Black photo box for storage of brad & eyelet cases

Brad & eyelet cases, in alpha order by the OLD SU! color families

I did not change the color families when SU! did the color renovation. First, because I won't have all the colors; second, I can recite the old color families in my sleep; third, too many retired. Oh heck...it's just easier! LOL. I do have my stamp pads and card stock by the new color families.

Brad & eyelet cases, in alpha order by the OLD SU! color families

Hope you enjoyed viewing the progress on the Onsie project AND the peek into my stamp room at one of my storage solutions. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have  moo'valous day!

Scrap Pile

Remember the scrap pile from my last post:

SU! punched pieces...soon to be embellishments for my SMASH book!

Die Cut pieces from PTI's It's A Jungle Out There die.

I punched the TAR out of the scraps.  LOL.  NOW...big thing here...is use them!  ;-)  For time being...I have stashed the SU! punched shapes here:

Punched shapes in small tin.

I think I had purchased these tins from the SU! Clearance Rack a while back.  I just simply shopped in my craft closet...ahem...hall closet for a storage solution.   It's portable...thin...space saving...and I can leave it right there and it won't be in the way...but I know I have some neato embellishments...ok...they are still plain right now...but not for long...neato embellishments right at hand for my smash book.  YES!

I have:

Arrows.

Large & small stars.

Modern labels.

Photo corners.

Small hearts.

All tucked away in here.

All tucked away.

I will be sharing the Decorative Labels all dolled up...and y'all thought I was gonna leave 'em all white?!?  LOL.  ;-) 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Onsie Die Card Bases

It's been a couple of days...of no crafting time.  Wednesday, I shopped at Sam's after work; came home, packed all that in, put all that away, fixed supper, eat and was ready to bed.  Thursday, I shopped at Wal-mart after work, price matched oodles of stuff; came home, had the Dale pack all that in (hee hee), put all that away, fixed supper, eat and then was ready for bed.  Friday, I'm off!  YAY.  And I woke up at 1 AM with my sinuses dripping clear fluid.  Ick.  That set the stage for a low key Friday at home.  Forget the WHB, I'm stamping.  All day long...and had a nap, too. 

Remember the day I went nuts with the onsie die?  Those are going to be card fronts.  One of the projects I worked on Friday was cutting card bases for those onsies die cut card fronts.

Pile of onsie die card bases

Close-up of a single card base

I cut up 12 x 12 Whisper White cardstock.  Not really a biggie for me, as I rarely scrap a page with a white base.  Notice on the die, there'a a row of dots?

Fold line on the PTI Onsie Die

Here's what it looks like before it goes in the Big Shot.  Notice the measurements - cut my 12 x 12 to 12 x 5.5.  I saved the 1 inch strip - I have a project for that 1 inch strip.  I'm sure these are not the most CS efficient measurements; however, these are what I used.  One onsie will have a Pear Pizzaz base.

Onsie card base measurements

Here's my pile of scraps; I have already used these up.  I'll share those projects in the next post. 

Pile of scraps from die cutting onsie card bases.

So, now I have the unembellished card fronts cut and card bases cut.  Next up is embellishing the card fronts.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

Going nuts with a onesie die

Yes...I went nuts with my Big Shot and my new PTI Onesie die!  I love the PTI dies...so thin...and sharp!  And, no...didn't cut my finger.  :-D  The Onesie die fits perfectly on the 6 x 6 paper packs from SU!  I have several...got them out and picked out prints I thought would look good made into a onesie.

After die cutting, I used a sticky note and wrote on the coordinating colors...I used the Welcome Neighbor DSP pack from the 2010 Sale-a-bration, the Patterns Pack III and the In-Color Patterns Pack (Hostess).  Here's a close up of each set.

Patterns Pack III

Welcome Neighbor Designer Paper Pack

In-Color Pattern Pack (Hostess)

I am looking forward to cutting the card bases tomorrow night!  Yippee! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a moo'valous day!

PTI Order

I'm an SU! gal.  I spent quite a bit of time debating my purchase...but I need sentiments for inside my cards AND I need to get cracking on baby stuff.  Since my niece is gonna have a boy in August and we're all going baby, I figured this would be a good time to do my son's baby book, too.  LOL 

Uh...no...the cat didn't arrive from PTI.  I was trying to photograph my order and... I gotta give my cat some attention.   

Three stamp sets...

...two dies and two ink spots.  These are the first dies I've had from PTI.  Interesting.  Very compact, thin, space saving and probably, easy to loose.  eek.  I hope not...easy to loose, that is.

PTI sets come with a jewel case to store the sets.  I tried to use them...but one set was simply too big and I could not see what I had...too confusing to read a clear sticker and have clear stamps.  eek.

So...I used a SU! stamp case.  On these two, I used the PTI labels.  I put the labels on brown copy paper cut to insert size.  I used brown paper, so I can immediately pick out SU! and PTI sets when I open my stamp drawer.

On the third one, there were two labels.  I decided to stamp the sentiments and not use the stickers.

 
Here's the inside:

Those particular three images didn't stamp fully because of the bump on the back, the CS label I cut from the belly band that was on the original packaging.  So I stamped those on white CS, trimmed them and then run them through Xyron. 

TIP:  I traced around each image with the paper piercer.  Why?  Sometimes I get more sticky than I want...glue strigs and stragglers on the edges of the images that I don't want.  I discovered if I traced the image with a sharp instrument, there are no exposed sticky stuff.

I'm loving this...the sentiments are in the same order as they are stamped on the cover.  I can actually read the sentiment stamps through the cover, especially since they have been inked up.

Here's the SMASHing idea book page for this stamp set:

I'm glad I stamped the sentiments...cuz I have a better idea of what I have. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a moo'valous day.