Thank You Card

I wanted to use my border embossing folder so I decided to use it for this card.  It's one of the borders in the Pop Culture pack from Cuttlebug.  For the background I used Versamark and 'thank you' from the Wonderful Words SU set. The sentiment came from the SU Curvy Verses set.  For the piece of paper I used the SU ticket punch corner punch and the ribbon slot punch from Fiskars.  I tied the ribbon in both directions to change it up a bit.  I also cut the front of the card narrower so that the embossed border could be seen while the card was open or closed.

Tools: CB embossing folder - Pop Culture; Fiskars ribbon slot punch; Versamark ink (background); SU stamp sets: Wonderful Words, and Curvy Verses; SU ticket punch corner punch; ribbon; Cuttlebug machine

Anniversary Card

Friends of ours got married the same year we did...and they have the same initials as we do!  They live across the country from us and we always send them an anniversary card.  This is what they got this year:

For this I used the LOVE set from SU and matted the small squares on a piece of red paper that I used the border and corner SU punch for.  Don't you just love punching all the way around a piece of paper now?!  I cut the gold ribbon to resemble an arrow and for the background I used my Cuttlebug to emboss (using the Textile embossing folder).  I used SU Stampin' Pastels to highlight the embossing.  I chalked around the edges as well.  Inside I used the Full of Life set from SU and the 'happy anniversary' is from Inkadinkado.

Tools: SU sets: LOVE & Full of Life, Cuttlebug, CB Textile embossing folder, SU border and corner punches, corner rounder punch, ribbon, ST Stampin' Pastels, Inkadinkado stamp

Another Wedding Card

Here's another wedding card I had made.  This time I used the same bride and groom stamp, but made a different card altogether.  The ribbon holds the front flap closed.  Once you untie the ribbon the flap opens and you can open the bride and groom part.  Then you get to the inside :-)  The bridesmaids wore purple so that's the color I went with.  It's the bride's favorite color after all :-)

(Card closed)

(Front flap open)

(Inside)

Tools used: Scallop punch, circle punch, SU stamp set To Have & To Hold, ribbon, hole punch, colored pencils.

Wedding Card

 I made this card for friends of ours that were getting married.  I like the classic blacak and white look, but I had to add some color to the flowers :-)  I also added glitter to the bride's vail.  The background/frame was done with my Cuttlebug machine and the Scrollwork embossing folder.  For this card I also stamped on the inside and back of the card.  I also used the two hearts on the envelope and wrote their initials in each heart. 

Tools used: Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug Scrollwork embossing folder, glitter glue, ribbon, SU stamp sets: To Have & To Hold, Greetings Galore, and In My Thoughts.

Cupcake Honey birthday card

I needed to make a b-day card for friend of ours - he's not the kind of guy to go for frilly things, so I used this image instead of my typical cutesy digis :-)  I hope he appreciated it! LOL  In any event, the image is from Sassy Studios and it's called Cupcake Honey.  The candle background is an embossing folder from Cuttlebug.  The sentiments (inside and out) are from SU Sassy Suzie set.  The digi was colored using Prismacolor colored pencils.

 Tools used: SU Sassy Suzie, Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Prismacolor pencils



Book Review ~ His First Kill: A Short Story

I usually don't read short stories....because...well...I think they are too short! LOL But this one was filled with twists and turns and unexpected things. I loved it! It was a quick read (as I guess is the point of short stories lol) but it was enjoyable all the way through. Thank you John Brinling! It was a fun, unexpected read!

Dragon b-day card

Here's a birthday card I made for one of my kids' friend's birthday parties.  I used Dustin Pike's freebie image and colored with Prismacolor pencils.  I double matted him and put some ballon brads along the side.

Tools used: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities squares, balloon brads, Prismacolor colored pencils, Dustin Pike digi

Book Review ~ The Usurper

Title: The Usurper

Author: Cliff Ball

This is the first Cliff Ball book I've read...and I'd have to say that if he writes another political thriller ... I'm in! "The Usurper" is a fast-paced fictional story that has non-fictional elements in it of events that really happened. Cliff makes you think 'could this really happen?' He makes it all seem possible...which is a scary thought! This book had lots of twists and turns that kept the reader on the edge of her seat throughout the book. I gave this book to my dad to read since he likes the same kind of books that I do. I'm sure he'll have a good review as well. Thank you Cliff for writing this book!

Monkey Book

Last year my sister-in-law was pregnant with her first baby.  The baby's room theme was monkeys so I had made her a wipes box decorated in monkey decor.  My brother would update everyone on the pregnancy along the way via facebook.  My brother is very witty and has a great sense of humor and every week we would look forward to reading about how the baby was growing or how the pregnancy was going.  I really wanted him to have these memories he recorded along the way so I created a mini book filled with all his postings.  The postings began with his announcement of his wife's pregnancy and ended with baby Alex's birth information and hospital picture.  I know this is a book they will treasure always. 

For the album cover I used two coasters (like the ones you get at a bar - the cardboard throwaways) and covered each with paper.  For the top cover I used the same monkey as the wipes box  and the same punch along the sides.  I cut out a bunch of paper and scored it to make enough sheets for the entire book.  Then I printed out all the quotes/pictures and glued them in order along the one side and down the other.  I tied a piece of twine around it to keep it all together.

Book Review ~ Butterflies In May

Title: Butterflies In May
Author: Karen Hart

I give this book 5 stars! LOVED it! Even though I knew Ali would become pregnant in this book (afterall, that's what the book is about), I found myself wishing it weren't true. Ali is such a straight-laced A student who's found love and you know that having a baby would change all that, so I was secretly hoping she wouldn't really be pregnant. But alas she was! I found it a remarkable story to follow Ali and her boyfriend Matt as they discover the truth and deal with it. These teens had some very tough decisions to make and the author had written these characters in such a way that you could really feel for them. In fact, this book actually made me cry! First time ever I've cried reading a book! Maybe it's because I'm a mom myself, I don't know, but it was a very touching and thoughtful story of these two teens. I think this is a must read for all teens!