Keepsake Cards

Spending time with family around this time of year is always very special-we’re all so busy and scattered that it’s rare these days that we are all able to get to together.  I love this time of year-reflecting on all that I have to be grateful for-I am deeply appreciative of all the blessings that I have and enjoy every day.

This is one of the cards that I was commissioned to make and I would like to share it with you today. I used my favorite line of paper by Echo Park and Bazzill Black Cardstock. The snowflake glitter is Martha Stewart and of course the clear plastic is Grafix.

Thank you for stopping by and I wish everyone a very special holiday and a very happy New Year!

It’s time! I can finally let the black cat out of the bag! I have been itching to blab this great news to all and now I can! These last few days have been simply torturous not being able to tell anyone that last week I was notified that one of my cards was chosen as a winner in the World Card Making Day contest in the Season’s Greetings category! My first initial thoughts upon sending in my two cards were that my chances were slim, two cards? But, I knew I had to quickly change those thoughts and it is with the power of positive thinking, all of the WONDERFUL people at Paper Crafts magazine and most of all, the blessings from above that helped me achieve this great honor. I am truly blessed and I am so very grateful. Congratulations to all of this year’s WCMD winners! Have a spooOOooky day!

Another post? Is it the New Year already? (wink-wink!) Speaking of the New Year, I have decided to make a “pre-resolution” vow, today! I have decided to make a more conscious effort to take better care of my blog baby, which is no longer in the infant stage and in dire need of some loving attention. I view many creative blogs and just drool with delight over the wonderful ideas and talents of all you fabulous crafty people-you know who you are! Thank you for your inspiration and helping me want to be a better card maker. So, let’s get on with it!

I loooove Halloween! ‘Hoo’ doesn’t right? I have posted a card that I made with Graphic 45′s Happy Haunting Collection. This card is one of many I have made that just fell together without any effort. Whenever I use a Graphic 45 paper collection I know I will not have any  trouble making something that is very cute and visually appealing.

This card is larger than your average size (6 3/4″ x 8 1/2″). I used black Bazzill cardstock which I was able to purchase at my favorite scrapbooking store in a 12″ x 24″ size, clear plastic from Graphix for the window effect and a brad from Little Yellow Bicycle’s Frightful Collection. The black ribbon is from Michael’s and the Trick-or-Treat ribbon is Martha Stewart’s-which I deemed too cute to use and now, only a few years later, I am finally able to just let it go. (Deep breath.) I have said too much. Visit again soon!

The wait is finally over! I have been counting down the days to finally see, in print, Paper Crafts Magazine November/December issue! It is fabulous! What makes it more fabulous than any other past issue? Me! Me and 14 other talented crafty ladies who are this year’s reigning 2012 Stamping Royalty. I wanted to say that I was not at all surprised to see such a beautiful display of winning cards. Congratulations to everyone who made this special issue a keeper! Thank you again EVERYONE at Paper Crafts!

My winning card is in the Season's Greeting category. It was the first card I ever submitted, my first card to ever win anything and my first card to be published. So, let me ask you, was I excited to see my card online and in print? You better believe it! Was I excited to see my face online and in print? Yeah...not so much, but I quickly bypass that page and head right to the good stuff.

Here is my winning card. Season's Greeting category.

Thanks for your visit no matter how short your stay-please visit again soon and I promise to post before the year's end! (wink-wink!)

I am in love with Graphic 45. My header is a partial view of a card I made from Graphic 45's Happy Haunting Collection. I also used Black Bazzill Cardstock and Graphix Clear Plastic. Sheer black and orange ribbon from Joann's. I use Recollections foam strips from Michael's for the boxed window effect. I will post this card soon!

Happy Halloween?! Am I a tad bit confused? Confused about the time of the year? Or just in general? No, no, not confused on either point I assure you.

As the summer season starts so begins the making of my Halloween cards. As I mentioned briefly in my first post, I have a small card and invitation business so getting ahead and staying ahead of the game is very important to my sanity. Start early, end early!

Wow! It has been a while since my last post and for many a good time consuming reasons. Mostly due to relocating my work space and redecorating. Getting organized and staying organized is tricky-it also takes time to get used to. So much stuff in its rightful place. Not where I usually keep things. Weird.

In keeping with the spirit of this short spooky post I leave you with some images of a few Halloween cards that I have made over the years. (They are also my personal favorites.) I look forward to sharing with you the Halloween cards that I will make this year which will reveal themselves at a more appropriate time. Please visit again soon! I have a fairly funny and embarrassing bit that I would like to share with you on my next post. I will also be adding more card images and other interesting tidbits.

Toodaloo!

  Halloween Skeleton Card-Patterned Paper Cosmo Cricket, Skeletons by K & Company

   Patterned Paper by Canvas Corp, Fence Stamp-Martha Stewart, Bat/Moon, Ghosts,        Grave stamps by Inkadinkado (Made a big inky mess when creating this card will have to  research other stamps and post later.)

       Happy Halloween Scarecrow Card-Patterned Paper Canvas Corp,  Fence Stamp                               by Martha Stewart Large Scarecrow stamp by Inkadinkado

  October 31st Bat Card- All Patterned Paper by Echo Park, Clear Plastic by Grafix
*All cards shown are made with Bazzill Black Cardstock

This last week has been very thrilling for me and I have to say that in reading the reactions of this year’s Stamping Royalty winners, they have all taken in this honor with much decorum and dignity! I, on the other hand, have just been fitted for my royal gown, diamond encrusted robe and glass slippers. My throne is almost complete with red velvet and gold inlayed cherubs. And! I am about to trade in my 3500 Dodge Ram for a 6 horse carriage complete with my own driver wearing a blue velvet coat with long coat tails. Going to the post office will be much more of a treat!

The glorious email. The distinguished P. Kelly Smith email. It was unexpected as I was thinking that it would be a couple more weeks before I heard anything, if anything at all, regarding who would be this year’s royalty. I saw the awaiting email but didn’t recognize her name right away. With all the other junk mail I had and after learning I had just won that ‘infamous $1000 gift card’ I decided to group and delete them ALL. Delete Kelly’s email. But wait! What does it say about Paper Crafts? Do I dare open this email only to be fooled that I had won something? Anything? After all, I did just win that ‘$1000 gift card’. Could I have won something else? Something legit? Has my luck changed? My fortune cookie did say I would have great luck this month. So many questions! I opened, I read and was in great delight.

I have to say that it has been very awe-inspiring to view the works of this year’s winners. So many marvelous works of art and ideas on their blogs. I can’t wait to see everyone’s winning cards in Paper Crafts November/December issue. I have never submitted a card to any publication before-this would be my first-so I do not have quite the same credentials as everyone else. I do have a small card and invitation business and have been making cards for 3 years. My blog is rather new and with it I hope to able to share with all of the other great card makers of the paper world my ideas and card creations. Most importantly, I would like to thank all of the wonderful people at Paper Crafts for selecting my card. I am so grateful and honored it will grace the pages of such a wonderful magazine!

Thanks for stopping by!

April 7, 2012 to Present

Okay, so another blog has been hatched. However, this blog is special. How? Why? Because it is my blog sillies. It will have many purposes but mostly its here so I can share my love of card making ideas, tips, techniques, product suggestions and to showcase the cards that I love to make. I also hope to be able to provide a little inspiration when your ideas run dry. Many a blog out there has done the same for me when I am gasping for an idea or two. I have been toying with the idea of a blog for a long time but never got around to it. So, I am spending the weekend in a labor intensive effort to push this blog out there and share with all the other great card designers of the world my 5 cents.

I have a very small business making handmade cards and invitations that I hope to grow and put out there with this new and lovely blog that, as you can see, is currently under construction. I would like to share a small number of card images that I have made and sold to some of my most special customers. I will be adding more images and information soon. The look of my site will also be changing in the next week or two so I encourage you to visit again soon. I welcome your comments and look forward to your next visit. Toodaloo!