Heart2Heart challenge

Here is my submission for this week's Heart2Heart challenge.  This week's challenge was to create your own background paper, using stamps and ink, then use that paper to make a Father's Day card.  I already had one card made for my Dad, but still needed to make a card for my DH, so this was the perfect kick in the butt to get it done.  :-)

(Click on the picture to enlarge it.)

For my background paper, I used Sunsest cardstock, and stamped images from last year's June Stamp of the Month... Wonderful Friend.  I used Sunset ink, and stamped the argyle pattern over the Sunset cardstock, resulting in a subtle, but defined pattern.  I then used a strip of Colonial White cardstock, and stamped the same argyle pattern with Versamark ink.  Using clear detail embossing powder, I heat embossed the image.  I think heat embossing is one of my very favorite techniques...I just love watching that powder melt (yes, I am easily amused)!  :-)  After the image was embossed, I used a sponge to sponge on Sunset, Olive and Outdoor Denim inks, one at at time, right next to each other.  The embossing resists the ink, and reveals the Colonial White color underneath.  So cool!  I attached some hemp around the Sunset cardstock, then adhered the Colonial White strip on top of that.

Next, I heat embossed the sentiments, again using Colonial White cardstock, Versamark, and clear detail powder.  I inked them up with Outdoor Denim ink, cut them out, and adhered them to the card.

Added some Olive buttons, with hemp, and Voila!!  Card done!

Thanks for looking!

Materials list (all products are CTMH, unless otherwise noted):
-papers:  Lucky, Colonial White, Sunset
-stamps:  Wonderful Friend
-inks: Sunset, Outdoor Denim, Olive, Versamark
-embellishments: Olive buttons (from the Green Assortment, I believe); hemp; clear detail powder

My Acrylix Dreams Come True stamp set

I absolutely love this stamp set!  It's so versatile.  And I just may have to make one of those banners.....hmmmmm.......

Get Well Soon!!

One of my good friends (and my upline!) Traci Pasqualone was very sick last week, down with a sinus infection. When I was talking with her on the phone, she just sounded like she was absolutely miserable, so I thought I'd bring her a little care package, and hopefully cheer her up some. The idea is not a Michelle-original....I first saw it here, on Lorrinda Holman's blog ( I LOVE her work!!). What a cute idea! Think I'll make up a few more, just to have on hand. Traci, I hope you're feeling better!! :-)


The stamps I used are not Close To My Heart. Unbelieveably, I don't have any CTMH "Get Well Soon" stamps yet! I need to rectify that situation soon! :-) The images were colored with Copic markers, and I used a Martha Stewart border punch for the front. The papers were all CTMH, including Tulip cardstock, and Cherry-O B&T papers. I used a SU Sizzix die for the front label.

Thanks for looking!!

Mojo Monday challenge

I love the sketches at Mojo Monday, and many of the cards I've made in the past few weeks have originated with these sketches.  Here is my submission for the week.  It is based on this original sketch:

And here is what I made.  I was able to use up some of the scraps from my You and Me kit (which you can see here).

Thanks for looking!!

Materials list: (all supplies are CTMH, unless otherwise noted)

-Smoothie cardstock

-Colonial White cardstock

-You & Me B&T paper

-A Little Thanks stamp set

-Chocolate ink

-Chocolate grosgrain ribbon

-Colonial White brad

Happy birthday, baby girl!!

So as I said in a recent post, our May/June is jammed with celebrations.  Today is my daughter's turn, as she turns 11 years old.  It's so bittersweet for me, as she's my youngest, and I think it's even harder watching her grow up, knowing there's no more kids behind her.  No more sippy cups, no more blankies, no more night lights, no more Brownies, no more elementary school.  But she's growing up to be such a wonderful young woman, it's making those "no mores" easier to accept.  We're so proud of her, and are eager to watch her develop into the amazing young woman God wants her to be.  Happy birthday, Allie!!

Since Allie is a competitive gymnast, we thought it would be fun to surprise her with tickets to the Covergirl Classic gymnastics meet in Chicago.  This is a meet where the nation's top gymnasts compete....competitors in previous years have included Carly Patterson, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liuken, Alicia Sacramone, and Chelsie Memmel, just to name a few.  She is so EXCITED to go!  It will be a girls weekend, with just her, her friend Leah, myself, my mom and my sister-in-law going.   NO BOYS this trip!  Because of the cost, she agreed that this trip IS her birthday...no other presents, or parties.  (Part of me is secretly relieved at the no party part....sssh!)  To present her with the ticket (well, the receipt for the tickets...I ordered online!), I made a special little box for her, using Sophia papaers.  I also made a coordinating birthday card.  It was a total Sophia weekend, as I finally decorated some paper maiche letters I've had sitting in my craft room for years, but I'll post on that later.  :-)

Here are pictures of the box and card:

And pictures of Allie opening her present:

 

Happy birthday, baby girl!!!!  We love you!

A quick birthday card

This was a card that I made for my husband's birthday, at the end of May.  He is my rock, and I'm so lucky to have him in my life.  I know he doesn't read this blog, but I LOVE YOU, honey!!

This card was based on a Mojo Monday sketch, seen here.

Supplies used (all products are CTMH, unless noted):

-Lucky level 2 paper pack

-Lucky Level 2 My Stickease ("Happy" piece)

-Lucky Level 2 Assortment (chipboard arrow)

-Sunset Mini-Medley (brads)

-Party Pennants stamp set

-Enjoy Life stamp set (graphic in top left/bottom right corners)

-Outdoor Denim ink pad

-Sunset ink pad

-Martha Stewart border punch

Happy Birthday, Buddy!!

So this time of year is absolutely, positively crazy for us here in the Auten household!!!  The middle of May brings SOL testing, Mother's Day, and then from May 23-June 7 we have 3 birthdays in this house, right in a row.  Boom, boom, boom.  It's cake and ice cream and presents for a straight month!  :-)  Anyway, I want this post to focus on my (now) 14-year old son, Josh.

Josh is our first-born, and we couldn't be prouder of him.  He has a HUGE heart, is well-liked,  loves sports, and does well in school.  However, as a teenager, he's become increasingly hard to buy gifts for, and in the past few years we've just resorted to giving him a gift card.  This year, we decided on giving him cash.  But, instead of just putting the money in a envelope with a card, I wanted to come up with some clever way to make him "work" for it.

A few months ago, one of my customers, Patty, made these cute little cake boxes for our WOTG club.  You can see my post about them here.  I thought it would be fun if I made Josh a "cake", and filled each box with "filling".  I would hide the money in the "filling", and challenge him to find his present.  :-)  Now, since I was coming up with this brilliant idea the night before his birthday, I was running short on time, and not sure I could get all of the boxes cut out by hand, using the template that Patty shared with us.  Then it hit me......I  remembered that one of my Cricut cartridges has an image similar to the cake box template.  I sorted through all my cartridges, and VOILA!  There it was....cake box, on Tags, Bags, Boxes and More.   Wahoo!!!  This would make things so much simpler!  So I started cutting, and here is what I ended up with:  (note.....these papers are Basic Grey, not Close To My Heart....I encourage my customers to actually use what they have, not just let it sit on the shelf, so I'm trying to follow my own advice, and use up my very LARGE stash of pre-CTMH paper!!)

This is a picture of one of the "slices" of cake

Here it is with the "filling"...I decided to use Easter grass, and cut up straws. 

 I rolled a $50 bill into one of the straws, and he had to find which one it was.  Sort of a "needle-in-a-haystack" theory.  :-)

A picture of the completed "cake".  This was presented to Josh with a note that simply said "You may want to eat this cake, but you can't.....look through the filling to find your friend Grant". 

Josh trying to figure out where his present really is.  ;-)

The aftermath

It took Josh a while to figure out he was looking for money.  I think he enjoyed the "puzzle", and it was much more gratifying to watch, than just simply opening a card, taking the money and tossing the card aside.

Happy birthday, Josh!!  We love you, buddy!