Down By The Creek Bank Frog Card

Hi, all!  This week, I've got a post for you as part of Joy's Life's Design Team.

 Joy came up with the super cute theme this week....Down By The Creek Bank.  I remember as a kid catching night crawlers with my dad and finding salamanders in the window wells.  Yes, I was a tomboy.  

Growing up, I didn't see many frogs around but I wanted to use one for my project. This one is from Cricut's Create A Critter cartridge.

Lot's Of Pun was the first stamp set that I bought from Joy! You can get yours here.

For this weeks card, I used DoodleBug's Flower Box paper set.  The card is 4.25 x 5.5 in size.  I cut the frog at 3.5" and then played around with the paper strips to figure out what size I wanted.  I stamped the saying on a strip of white paper and then cut the tab by hand.  After adding stitching, ribbon, and a plastic flower, the card was done! 

Thanks for coming along with me on a trip down memory lane!  I hope you'll leave a comment and share one of your favorite memories with me.

Cupcake Cat Card

Hi, everyone!  Thanks for stopping by!  Today I have a Friend Shaped Card for you on behalf of JoysLife's Design Team.

You can tell by the name of my blog that I LOVE cats!  They've been cherished family members to my hubby and I over the years. 

When I saw this file, I thought this would be a sweet card to make for a friend.   

 

Slip off the cupcake liner to reveal

 this sweet saying from Joy's Yummy Puns stamp set.  

Here's a closeup of that great stamp!

Packed with fun sentiments, you can grab your own set of Yummy Puns here. 

To recreate this card using your cutting machine, resize the SVG file so it will fit in a 4.25x5.5 envelope. Add some dry embossing and crystals to make your project sparkle.  I cut the cat out of black paper since it reminds me of my cat, Moonlight.  

Maybe he approves.

Well, that's all I have for you today.  I hope you have a great one!  Thank you for taking the time to leave comments.  They mean a lot to me. :)

Festive Flower Card

Hi, everyone!  Glad you could join me during Joy's Life's Design Team Free For All Week.  Which means that we could have even more fun than usual and create without limitations.  

I've got a simple but colorful card for you that would be easy for you to recreate.

 The stamp I used is from Joy's new My Hero stamp set.  

 

If you haven't already done so already, you can get your own set here.

This card is sized for an A-2 envelope.  I used Doodlebug papers (my favorite) and templates from Kiwi Lane 

 Designs to create it.  Inking around the edges, hand drawn stitching, and a button tops it off.  

Well, that is all that I have for you today.  I appreciate you dropping by!

And in case you haven't heard,  Google Reader is no longer available.  If you haven't done so already,  I'd appreciate it if you chose to 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Joy's Life Beach Crab Summer Card

Hi, everyone!  It's been awhile but here I am with my first project for JoysLife.com in a quite some time. 

 I'm still helping run Joy's Life's Design Team but it was a nice change to go in my room and do some crafting!

The first day of Summer just around the corner and we've been celebrating it this past week. 

When I saw this cute crab image in the Silhouette store, I knew I had to make a project with him!  

Here's a closeup of the stamp I used from Joy's Pun In The Sun set.  If you ink it up well, it will stamp great on Bazzill paper.

   The card is a standard 4.25x5.5" but I cut the paper vertically for a change.  I used a variety of textured papers on it.  To keep it from looking so plain, I used glitter and hand drawn stitching.

Well, that is all for me today!  I hope you all are having a great time and enjoying the summer! :)

"Inspired By" Blog Hop Hosted by JoysLife.com

Hello!  Glad you can join us for Joy's Life's "Inspired By" Blog Hop!

If you came over from Maria then you are in the right spot.  If you stumbled across this post and want to start hopping from the beginning, you can do so here.

  I must have been hungry when I got my inspiration for this hop!  I remembered seeing these cool Rainbow cakes and figured with all this color, I ought to be able to create SOMETHING!

With Easter right around the corner I used pastel, instead of primary colors for my project. 

Here's what I came up with!

 
It's a neat candy container stamped with sayings from Joy's Everyday and Holiday Occasions sets.  If you'd like a set of your own, grab them here.  
 
Now for a look at the backside of the mug.  (I know I could have added something to the candy sleeves but decided that the mug would be the main focus.  It was also getting a bit cramped after I stuffed all the sleeves in.)

For this fairly simple project, I covered a glass mug with papers and stickers from Doodlebug's new Flower Box collection.  I then stamped "Happy Easter" with Memento's Rose Bud ink and added a brad to the center of the flower on banner.   I then wrapped twine around the handle to spice it up a little.  M&M's were sorted by color and then packaged in 1x8 cellophane bags to give the rainbow effect. 

OK, you've stuck with me so far so...

*** how about some GREAT Blog Candy?? ***

I'm going to give away That Tastes Punny  to a lucky hopper!  It's one of three GREAT new stamps sets created by Joy!!

 

You have up to four chances to enter this drawing.
It's up to you how many comments you'd like to leave for your chance to WIN!

1st Comment: Leave me a comment

2nd comment: Leave a 2nd comment  if you are a follower/subscriber of my blog
3rd comment: Leave a 3rd comment if you like or have liked my Facebook page 

4th comment:  Leave a 4th comment if you are a follower of Joy's Design Team Blog

You have until March 30th to post comments.  The lucky winner will be announced soon after so be sure to stop by to see if it is you!

*** Your next stop is June!  She's got a special project that you're going to enjoy!! ***
 

Here's the entire lineup in case you got lost along the way.

  Joy: http://joyslife.com
Maria: http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com
Patty: http://craftykitten1.blogspot.com
June: http://simplyelegantpapercrafts.blogspot.com
Jenny: http://jennyplace26.blogspot.ca     
Staci: http://preciousmem.blogspot.com  
Megan: http://thoughtsoftraveling.blogspot.com
Kimberly: http://hellocutiecrafts.blogspot.com  
Laura: http://www.laurascraftsandmore.com   
Debbie: http://bugjuiced.blogspot.com    
Lori: http://got2bcrafting.blogspot.com   
Cyndy: http://arcyscraps.blogspot.com    

I hope you enjoy this fun blog hop and are "Inspired by" our creations.

Coming this weekend!

Hope you can join us this weekend for Joy's Life's "Inspired By" blog hop!

We'll be sharing projects that sparked our creativity and maybe it might spark something in you.  

I hope you can join us for a few.  I've got some GREAT Blog Candy and the fun will start here!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hi, everyone! I've got a fun St. Patrick's day project for you!

I thought since I married into a Bailey family, I ought to post something today to celebrate the occasion!  

Here's a fun door hanger to brighten up your day.

When I was cutting this, I thought the pattern was super cute but I think the cuteness factor went way over the top after I added Joy's stamp from her Yummy Puns set!

You can check out Joy's stamps here.  She's also has THREE new sets coming out!  Joy's offering some great pre-order and bundle deals so I hope you'll check them out. 

This adorable SVG comes from SVGCuts Charm and Chance set.  I cut it out using Sure Cuts A Lot software and my Cricut.  You can also use your Silhouette with their files.  I resized the file to fit my door knob and added some glitter paper for the shamrock to spice it up a bit.  The banner is a strip of paper that I cut by hand and popped up with some foam tabs.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a safe and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

Blog Hop Winner!

Hi, everyone!  Hope you are doing well.  It's chilly here in Colorado with the blowing snow but I'm just glad we are getting some badly needed moisture! 

Anyways, it's a little late but I do have the winner of my latest blog hop prize selected.   

Congratulations to AJ!  She said:

She's the winner of these oh so adorable buttons!  

AJ, I'll be sending you an email soon!  

Thanks to all of you for taking time to drop by my blog and leave comments.  I read them all and they inspire me to keep creating.  :)

Stay tuned!  Joy's Life will be hosting an "Inspired By" Blog Hop this month.  I'll have some more good stuff to give away!  

Happy Birthday, Joy!

Hi, everyone!  Hopefully, you've been able to follow Joy's Design Team lately since we've all been wishing her a Happy Birthday!  Her actual birthday is the 19th but we thought we'd extend the celebration for the entire week!!!

I thought I'd mix a couple of my hobbies for this post.  Here's what I created! 

I tell you, my mouth seems to water when I'm crocheting these cupcakes because they look soooo  yummy!!!

The stamp I used is from Joy's Yummy Puns set. Pick up your own set here.

Now for how I made this... I crocheted the cupcake in the round (Amigurumi) and filled the bottom of it with rice and the top with some fiberfill before stitching it shut.  Here's a link to a free pattern that you may want to try.

The "sprinkles" are metallic pins I picked up at my local hobby shop. A Sizzix die cut the tag that I embellished using some colorful ribbon and a super cute Doodlebug cupcake brad.

It may be arriving a little late in the mail for Joy's birthday but I hope she enjoys it when she gets it!  

Felt Cat Card

Hi, everyone! 

I'm getting in on the fun this week with Joy's Design Team.  If you have been following this weeks posts, we've been using techniques that are new to us, and maybe, you as well.

I've got a small collection of metal dies because I don't consider them cost effective since you can't change their size.  In the past, I'd only been using them with paper.  My LSS started carrying 100% wool felt so I had to pick some up. Well, needless to say....I am HOOKED! 

Here's what I made with that great material and Joy's wonderful stamps!

The kitty is a die that I also picked up at my LSS.  I picked up a few different cats and can't wait to use them all.  
 
The stamp I used came from Joy's Lots Of Pun set.  I made a few of these cards because this sentiment can be used for a birthday, congratulations, or a thank you card.

 I was surprised how the metal die cut 100% wool felt like butter!   I really like the texture and look of the felt.  I think it adds a nice touch to the card.  

  

If you have felt and some dies, I hope you'll break them out and experiment.  Add Joy's stamps to the mix and you've got yourself one really neat project!

Joy's Life Mini Books Blog Hop

 Welcome to Joy's Life's Mini Books Blog Hop!  These books can take a little time to make but they are worth the effort.

  If you came over from Kimberly then you are in the right place.  If you happened to stumble across this post and want to start hopping from the beginning, you can do so here.

 I had thought about using one of my cutting machines for my book but instead remembered a book that I had made in a class several years ago at my LSS.  

Here's my latest mini. (The stamp on the cover is from Joy's Yummy Puns set.)

Here's a shot of the book opened up. (Sorry about the glare in the pic!)

I got to use several of Joy's fun stamps for this project.  These pages feature stamps from Joyful Hearts and Yummy Puns.

Wintery Puns and You're So Punny provided the stamps that I used for the last two pages of the book.

Here's how I made it.  I cut two pieces of chipboard for the covers at 3.25" square.  I then cut a piece of pink card stock at 3"x12"for the inside pages.  That piece was then scored every 3".  I decorated my book with Joy's stamps and some really cute stickers I bought at Hobby Lobby.  (If you are hard pressed for time, this is a way to create a quick book.)  I then attached some ribbon to the chipboard and taped the pages to create the book.

I hope you enjoyed my Mini-book and it inspires you to make one for someone you love!  
 

*** Now how about some Blog Candy for hanging with me for this long post??? ***
 
Well, I'm going to give away your choice of any Joy's Life stamp set to one lucky hopper!!! Yes, I'm going to share the love!  LOL!

You have up to four chances to enter the drawing.
It's up to you how many comments you'd like to leave for your chance to WIN!

1st Comment: Leave me a comment

2nd comment: Leave a 2nd comment  if you are a follower/subscriber of my blog
3rd comment: Leave a 3rd comment if you like or have liked my Facebook page 

4th comment:  Leave a 4th comment if you are a follower of Joy's Design Team Blog

You have until January 20th to post comments.  The lucky winner will be announced soon after so be sure to stop by to see if it is you!

*** Your next stop is Maria!  She's super talented and  has an amazing project for you. ***
 

Here's the entire lineup in case you got lost along the way.

 
Joy: http://joyslife.com
 Jenny: http://jennyplace26.blogspot.ca  
 Kimberly: http://hellocutiecrafts.blogspot.com
 Patty: http://craftykitten1.blogspot.com  (You are here!)
 Maria: http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com
 Cyndy: http://arcyscraps.blogspot.com     
 Laura: http://www.laurascraftsandmore.com
 June: http://simplyelegantpapercrafts.blogspot.com     
 Megan: http://thoughtsoftraveling.blogspot.com
 Staci: http://preciousmem.blogspot.com  
 Debbie: http://bugjuiced.blogspot.com   
 Sarabeth: http://www.chroniclesofsarita.blogspot.com
 Lori: http://got2bcrafting.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you had a fun time hopping and are thinking about making a Mini Book of your own!  

Glittery Gingerbread Man Tag

Hello!  Today I've got my last post for Joy's Fall Design Team.  I'll be popping up in the Winter term occasionally, so you can't get rid of me that easily!  :)

Joy asked us to tackle some glittery and colorful projects this week.  I ended up doing a simple tag but with the use of glitter and colors that pop, I think it came out pretty neat. 

 

Here's a closeup for you so you can see how much glitter is on the snowflake background and his bow tie.  

The stamp I chose comes from Joy's Oh, Christmas Puns set.  

Treat yourself this holiday season and pick up your own set here.  

I broke out my Cricut for this project.  The ginger bread man is from Create A Critter 2 and was cut at 3 inches.  I then hand cut the tag to the size I needed.
 
The technique I used for the background involves inking your embossing folder before you dry emboss your paper.  I then sprinkled glittery embossing powder on the paper and heat set it.  It's as easy as that to create a sparkly background!

Well, that's all for me today!  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.  See you in the New Year!!!

Using The Negative Of A Die Cut

Hello!  If you've been following the posts on Joy's Life's Design Team this past week, we've been sharing tips and techniques.  I'm going to show you how to use a die cut in a different way.

I turned to my trusty Cameo for this project.  Using the drawing tool, I made a rectangle the size that I needed.

I used one the of tree files available in the Silhouette online store.  I  enlarged it, centered it in the rectangle, then cut it from white card stock.

I marked the green card stock where the tree would be positioned and began to cover the background with Washi  tape.  

(If you are in a big hurry, you can use printed card stock.)

 

It was at this point that I realized the tape was semi-transparent and the green card stock was showing through.  I changed plans and used the white die cut as a base to lay the tape so the true color of the Washi tape showed through. 

I used the pencil marks to place the tree onto the card.  Afterwards, I taped the stamped frame to the card and added the glitter star.  This is how it looks after it is assembled.  

I chose this stamp from Joy's new Oh, Christmas Puns for my card.  Works perfectly!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the tutorial.  Let me know if you're going to try this or have done this before.  Have a great day!

Wintery Cocoa Pouch

Hello!  If you've been following the Design Team blog at Joy's Life this past week you've seen that we've been doing food projects. There has been some really neat ideas that hopefully you can incorporate into your holidays.

Today, I've got for you a simple cocoa pouch that you could whip up in a few minutes for that special person.

Open it up for a hot chocolate treat!

I used Joy's Wintery Puns for this project. It has quickly become one of my favorite sets! You can get yours here, if you don't already have it!

I took a sheet of Bella Blvd paper and cut it down to 5.5x11 inches.  I then scored it at 1" and halfway between that to create a matchbox.  The bunny is a Lettering delights image and the scallop circle he sits on is a Silhouette file.  I then stamped Joy's cute saying and trimmed it into a flag.  Using snowflake brads, I fastened the bottom of the pouch and was finished!

Let me know if you might try out a gift like this.  I appreciate any comments you leave.  Have a great day!

Christmas Treat Box

Hello!  I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.  I can't believe it's the 1st of December already!   

If you've been following Joy's Life Design Team blog this week, you've seen that we are featuring bags & boxes.  

I used the Cricut Imagine for my project.

The stamp I used came from Joy's Yummy Puns set.

  I love how it can be used all year round.  If you don't already have this set in your collection, you can get it here.

 I used the Mr. Frosty Imagine cartridge for the colors.  The bag is from Tags, Bags, Boxes and more on page 115.  I made it as big as it would fit on a 12x12 piece of paper.  The tree is one of the stock shapes the Imagine comes with.  I printed and cut 2 of them and layered for some interest. 

This was fairly easy to make.  They can be cranked out quickly if you need some last minute gifts or have a large group of people that you want to give something to.  

Well, I hope you enjoyed my little bag for today.  

Stick around...starting tomorrow, we'll be kicking off Joys Life's Happy Holidays Blog Hop! There will be plenty of great holiday ideas.

 I'll have some great blog candy for one lucky hopper.  Hope to see you!

Squirrel Thanksgiving Card

Hello, everyone!  I can't believe Thanksgiving is around the corner.  Can you?  

This past week, the DT over at JoysLife.com has been featuring cards made with her wonderful stamps!  

When Cricut came out with Create A Critter2, I just HAD to have it! I love the images, especially this squirrel! 

He was the first thing I thought of when I saw this stamp.  It's from Joy's It's All Fall Puns set.  If you don't already have it, you can grab your own set here.

 

With all the holidays coming up, I think this says it all.  Our family usually has a large get together.  It's loud and fun!  

This card is 4.25" x 5.5".  I used Bazzill paper as the base.  Both yellow and brown background papers were printed with my Imagine from the Enjoy The Seasons cartridge.  The frame is one of the basic shapes on the Imagine and I filled it with the yellow pattern from Enjoy The Seasons. I added some glitter to both of the acorns to add some flair.

Well, I am the last post of the week for the Design Team.  We'll be taking off next week to be with our families. 

 I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Joys Life Tags and Bags Blog Hop begins today!

Hello, friends!  Glad you could join us for Joy's Tags & Bags Blog Hop!  

  If you came over from June, then you are in the right place.  If you happened to stumble across this post and want to start at the beginning, you can do so here.

I have to say, I was stumped on what to make for this hop.  I actually made a bag using my Imagine but then changed my mind.  (maybe I'll post that pic later)  Lots of brainstorming, scrapped projects, and then I saw this cute SVG and knew it was what I wanted to make.

This stamp is from Joy's Yummy Puns set.  I like that the saying can be used in different ways.

Once I decided what paper I wanted to use, it was a quick project.  I used my Cameo to cut out the purse that I got from My Scrap Chick. The holly and berries are a Sizzix die and the paper is from Little Yellow Bicycle's Wonder Wishes collection.  The ribbon I used was also something I've had in my stash for YEARS! 
  
I've got some nieces and co-workers that I think would get a kick out of these purses.

*** Now how about some Blog Candy??? ***

I'm going to give away Joy's newest stamp set, Oh Christmas Puns, to a lucky hopper!  

  You'll have four chances enter the drawing!

1st Comment: Leave me a comment

2nd comment: Leave a 2nd comment  if you are a follower/subscriber of my blog
3rd comment: Leave a 3rd comment if you like or have liked my Facebook page 

4th comment:  Leave a 4th comment if you are a follower of Joy's Design Team Blog

It's up to you how many comments you'd like to leave for your chance to WIN!  

You have until November 19th to post comments.  The lucky winner will be announced the next day, so be sure to stop by to see if it is you!

*** I'm the last stop of the hop so if you haven't already, drop by JoysLife.com and let her know if you enjoyed it ***

Here's the entire lineup in case you got lost along the way.

   

Joy: http://joyslife.com  
Maria: http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com
Cyndy: http://arcyscraps.blogspot.com
Stacey: http://staceyscreativecorner.blogspot.com
Laura: http://www.laurascraftsandmore.com
Jennie: http://earthyscrap.blogspot.com
Megan: http://thoughtsoftraveling.blogspot.com
Lori: http://got2bcrafting.blogspot.com
Sarabeth: http://www.chroniclesofsarita.blogspot.com
Amy: http://redheadedcrafter.blogspot.com
June: http://simplyelegantpapercrafts.blogspot.com
Patty: http://craftykitten1.blogspot.com (you are here)

Thanks for stopping by!  Good luck on the drawing!  I hope you had a fun time hopping!