Some Teacher Gifts

Phew! The last week of school is certainly a busy one! It doesn't have to be but of course I PROcrastinate and make myself miserable. I basically spent all day yesterday making these teacher gifts for my kiddos' last day of school today and also 5 graduation cards that my hubby suddenly needed. I didn't even get a picture of those. Thank goodness I love making stuff like this.

For the kids' 3 main teachers I prettied up these tiny tins I bought several months ago at the dollar store. They were actually gift card holders with a Christmas theme. I just pulled out the plastic insert that held a gift card and decorated the outside.

I used the old Alphabet set, Doodle, in rainbow hues to label the tins, then added a little scallop edge and some ribbon around the edges to finish them off. Inside are a set of 12 or so tiny note cards that I always think will be handy for teachers to send notes home with students for various reasons. The cards ended up being 4x5 folded in half. I did a variety of styles for the note cards along with a monogram set for each teacher. Here are some pictures of the notecards. I'll label the stamp set below just in case you are curious! Spring Solitude

Flight of the Butterfly

Good Neighbor

Vintage Labels & Lovely Letters Alphabet

Good Neighbor
Vintage Labels & Lovely Letters Alphabet

Here is the little M&M holder I made for my son to give to his teachers. I thought he might be a little embarassed handing out the pink ones below. For this one I use the Have a Ball & Sporting stamp sets.

These were done with the Oval All set and Pocket full of Flowers

Well, that's all I've got for you today! Thanks so much for stopping by. If your teacher gifts aren't done yet hopefully these will inspire you to get going!

Measurements to make the little stand up chocolate holders are different every time I make them. The last time I posted them with measurements they didn't work for me this time so here's what I would recommend trying: you can get four from one sheet of cardstock if you make them 2.75 inches wide by 8.5 inches long. Then try scoring at 1", 4.5" and 5.5".

Have a great weekend everyone!

~Kristin

Congrats Grad!

Good morning! Yes, I'm posting two days in a row- I know, hard to believe from me lately! Today we've got a new Diva challenge with some familiar colors for Memorial Day week- Brilliant Blue, Real Red and White plus I added in a kraft base for a neutral. This is my first use of this cute set called "Go, Graduate". The best part is every single piece is from my scrap pile! I've started collecting card bases when I cut for one card and exactly half the cardstock is left... now I keep the extras in a little lunch tin I decorated when that was all the rage. So now I can just dig through it to see what color I want to start with- works great!

I colored the little owl's cap and diploma with SU markers and watercolored his body with Close to Cocoa ink and the aqua painter. Punched two red stars out for behind him- haven't done that in a while. The sentiment in this set comes in one long line but I used my Stamp-a-Majig and marker to strategically place it just where I want it.


I hope you'll go visit the Diva blog to see the other Diva's samples then play along and link your card to our post. Thanks for visiting me today- I hope your weather will be as lovely as I'm expecting here in Ohio!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Go, Graduate

Colors: Real Red, Brilliant Blue, Whisper White, Kraft, Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand

Accessories: Large star punch, circle punch, crimper, Brilliant Blue brads, spiral punch

Summer Butterflies today!

Hey all! I'm stopping by lickety split to post something for you before I have to run to yet another ball game! Made this this morning with the Mojo Monday sketch in mind, and the Summer theme for the CAS challenge... although, this isn't what I'd call CAS. Oh well, I had summer on the brain anyway. I hope you enjoy this color combo- it includes the luscsious new Cherry Cobler!!! along with Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron and Old Olive.

Thanks for stopping by! Stop back tomorrow for a Diva challenge!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Good Friend

Colors: Cherry Cobler, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron and Old Olive

Accessories: Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain, scallop border punch, Beautiful Wings embosslit, Button Bouquet

Ice Cream Birthday

Pulled those room darkening curtains last night and managed to sleep in until nearly 9am this morning- you gotta love Saturdays! Now my hubby and kiddos are off fishing so I've got the morning to myself. Hopefully I can find some mojo for stampin'.

I made this card with this week's sketch challenge on SCS in mind. I love the colors (new Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Real Red and Almost Amethyst) and the simplicity, but feel like it is lacking that one perfect tiny detail, and I can't figure out what it is. Maybe I should've tried stamping the ice cream cone in colored craft ink instead of white??

Anyway, I added some red beads on there that I've had forever, crimped the Amethyst, added an ancient metal-edged tag, some real red dotted grosgrain that I always forget I have and scalloped the bottom edge. You'd think that would be enough for me. Ah well, I know I'll get out of this rut one of these days... Probably about the time it stops raining and I can actually enjoy being outside- then I'll have an insatiable stamping mojo!

Have a super Saturday and thanks for visiting me today!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Sweet Scoops, sentiment from Vintage Labels

Colors: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Real Red, Almost Amethyst, Whisper White ink

Accessories: Metal-edge vellum tag, Real Red dotted grosgrain, scallop border punch, silver brad, tag corner punch, red bead duo, crimper

Shabby Chic

Wanna know what a stampin' rut looks like? Or lack of mojo? Well, this is it! Sometimes when I try too hard to fit a card into a challenge it just doesn't work for me. Not saying I totally dislike this card, it just wasn't doing what I wanted it to do. Anyway, this is for Monday's Clean and Simple challenge to do shabby chic as well as for the Color Throwdown to use Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo and Baja Breeze (the Baja really threw me!) and for the FTL90 sketch. No wonder I struggled is probably what you're thinking. Well, you're right. I should KNOW better- I've done this long enough.

In any case, the flowers for this card were done with the Boho Blossom punch and the new Bitty flower punch from the Summer Mini. I crinkled them up a bit for some distress. The colors on them are from being punched out of previously stamped paper. The background is the Very Vintage jumbo wheel in Melon Mambo. Sentiment from Watercolor Trio.

So how would you change this card? I thought adding the Baja button would tie in ink color but not sure if it helped. I'm thinking I'm just not crazy about the color scheme. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Well, thanks for visiting and have a great day! I'll be volunteering for field day all day at school today so I won't be around much.
~Kristin

Get Well Wishes

I have searched and searched but CANNOT find the sketch challenge that I did this card for! Someone closed the internet window I had open yesterday and ... well, you got the idea. Anyway, the color combination is So Saffron, Rich Razzleberry and Dusty Durango for this week's CC271 on Splitcoast (with a touch of Always Artichoke).

Need to make this quick, but I'll tell you the Razzleberry piece was from my stash of "previously sprayed" with my new Smooch Spritz. Since that was so shimmery I just HAD to use shimmer white cardstock for the main panel as well!

Hope that's all you need to know besides my supplies because I'm out of time! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great sunshiney day!!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Watercolor Trio, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Colors: So Saffron, Rich Razzleberry and Dusty Durango, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, satin ivory ribbon, pinking heart border punch, markers, Modern Label punch, Smooch Spray

It's a Diva Sketch!

Hey there! Long time no see! Sorry, I've been absent so much lately. It's just that time of year and my June and July don't look any better. Phew! I don't know about you, but I'm having trouble finding motivation to stamp with this rainy dreary weather. Like my daughter says "the droopy weather makes me feel droopy"- isn't that just exactly right?!

Well to brighten our day today we've got a brand new Diva Coffee Break Design sketch to play with! I think this sketch offers lots of great possibilities. Why don't you try it and let me know what you think. Then go check out the Diva blog and link to our post for a chance to be our next Featured Artist!

For my card I decided to use one of the BRAND NEW Stampin' Up! colors that will be available as of July 1: Marina Mist. I thought it would look sharp paired with my Night & Day DSP and the white layered daisy die. Did you notice the polka dots and bit of shine on the daisy?? I actually cut one daisy layer from the polka dot acetate sheet that came with the DSP. That's the first I'd cut into that acetate and I'm glad I finally did!

My sentiment is from the Vintage Labels stamp set (from this year's Sale-a-Bration). Like my Summer Sun corduroy button paired with the Crushed Curry ribbon?? You can hardly tell a difference, huh?!

So thanks for stopping by today! I'm going to try and get my mojo back and crank something wonderful out today. Wish me luck!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Vintage Labels

Colors: Marina Mist, White, Black, Crushed Curry, Summer Sun

Accessories: Big Shot, Daisies #2 die, Curly Label punch, Summer Sun corduroy button, Night & Day DSP, Crushed Curry dotted grosgrain.

More Teacher Thank You's

As promised, here are the last three of the five Teacher Thank You notes I designed for a friend's son to give to his teachers. This first one ended up being one of my favorites. I used Crushed Curry as the card base and love how it looks with the black and red!

Here's a more jungle-like theme. I like how this one turned out too- actually I like them all or I wouldn't have included them for her to choose from. The sentiment circle on this one is from the old retired set called Riveting. I love the versatility of circular sentiments like this! Colors here are Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive and a tiny More Mustard brad. The leaves are from the Little Leaves Sizzlit and the Big Shot.
This one is a CASE of a birthday card I did a long time ago. I was so happy with the original that it is the first thing that came to mind for thank you notes from a little boy. The colors and sentiment are different and on this one the train is simply stamped as opposed to being tediously cut out. I just couldn't see myself doing ten of these if that train had to be cut out! (Color Combo from the Color Throwdown challenge this week!)

So there you have it! Why don't you check out the two from yesterday then post a comment here letting me know which is your favorite. Keep in mind, these are intentionally simple so they can be mass produced (my friend needs ten!). Then I'll let you know what she decided!

Thanks for visiting today! Have a great weekend!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Card 1:

Stamps: Darling Dots, For a Friend

Colors: Crushed Curry, Real Red, Basic Black

Accessories: Big Shot, Dotted embossing folder, Real Red dotted grosgrain

Card 2:

Stamps: Wild About You, Riveting

Colors: Soft Suede, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Dusty Durango

Accessories: Circle punches, More Mustard brad, Little Leaves Sizzlit, Big Shot, Old Olive marker

Card 3:

Stamps: Choo Choo, Sweet Little Sentiments

Colors: So Saffron, Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake (Kraft), Very Vanilla

Accessories: Old Olive wide grosgrain, Right on Track wheel, Distressing tool, Spiral punch

Teacher Thank You's

Good morning! A good friend of mine asked if I could make some thank you notes from her son for his teachers. Well- she asked the right person! I needed an excuse to spend half of the day stamping! Here are the first two of five that I came up with for her to choose from. I'll post the other three tomorrow and let you vote. Then I'll let you know what she decided.

Her adorable son is in LOVE with basketball right now (he's going into kindergarten) so I had to make that an option for her. This one combines one very old stamp set called Have a Ball and the other one is called Sporting (current I think, but would have to check for sure). Doesn't Dusty Durango make a great basketball color?!?

Of course all little boys love vehicles and making them "GO" so had to pull out my trusty By Land as well as It's a Sign and the fun Making Tracks wheel! Guess what I figured out making this card... the new circle punch in the Bitty Punch Pack of 3 in the Summer Mini is the perfect size for the lights on this stop light so I didn't have to color them!

Well hope you like 'em, and hope she does too! Stop back tomorrow to see the other three I came up with. Then I'm afraid I'll be MIA the rest of the weekend due to 6 baseball games and a gymnastics recital plus a houseful of relatives in town for the fun events! PHEW!

Have a great Friday!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Card 1:

Stamps- Sporting, Have a Ball, Riveting
Colors: Kraft, Dusty Durango, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Versamark

Accessories: circle punch

Card 2:

Stamps- It's a Sign, By Land, Making Tracks wheel

Colors: Garden Green, Real Red, Yoyo Yellow, WHisper white, Basic black

Accessories: markers, Bitty circle punch

Thanks so much...

...for your patience! Gosh, I haven't posted since Friday. I promise I've tried but my internet connection is acting up, or my computer- not sure which. We'll see if it even lets me post this time. I suppose I should admit that I've also finished two books in the last few days so I have done a few other things. Can't blame it on ball games because they've all been canceled since Sunday.

Anyway, FINALLY I am ready to post my Diva Coffee Break Designs card that I've had since Tuesday. This week we had a lovely color challenge: Rose Red, Blush Blossom and Mellow Moss. These last two colors will be retiring as of July 1 so we are appreciating them while they are still current! I was excited for this color challenge- knowing these colors would be fun to work with.

The stamp set I used is the new Watercolor Trio from the Summer Mini Catalog. Did you also notice the tiny clear buttons?? They are new to this catalog as well and this is my first try with them. They are extra fun because there is a 3-pack of tiny punches that cut some of the same shapes these buttons come in. That's how I made them Rose Red- just punched the flower out with cardstock.

Well, thanks for stopping by. I've got to go get my bickering kids off to school before they hurt each other (or I lose my cool). Hope you have a great day!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Watercolor Trio

Colors: Kraft (Crumb Cake), Rose Red, Blush Blossom, Mellow Moss

Accessories: Bitty Buttons, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, Pinking Hearts border punch, oval punch, scalloped oval punch, Distressing tool, Paper piercing tools, thread/floss, corner rounder

Monogrammed Note Cards

As I mentioned earlier I'm working on projects to sell at an upcoming boutique night. Today I've focused on a variety of Monogrammed Note Cards. This first style I've made in Eggplant, Burgandy and Navy so far. Using the Vintage Labels (Sale-a-Bration) set and the Lovely Letters alphabet they are quite simple. The hardest part was being as precise as possible with my cuts and stamping.

Here is my second style. This puts to use my Elegant Bouquet Embossing folder. There's a bit of sparkle in the center of each flower. I have only made this in Close to Cocoa and Pink Pirouette so far, but plan to do more colors.

Finally, the Manhattan Flower embossing folder and another Vintage Label with and without the light pink organdy ribbon.

Hope you like them! If you are interested in a set let me know. I'd be glad to customize with the initial of your choice. I haven't set prices yet but will get to that by next weekend because that's when I need to have them done!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

From the Heart

Yippee! I'm stamping again! Not that I should be- my parents are coming to town and my house needs cleaned up... but I've got my priorities you know. I made this card yeterday for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge. This Designer Series Paper, Raspberry Tart, was on SU's clearance Rack a while back (might still be??) so I grabbed some. I liked this patterned piece featuring Cameo Coral and took my cues from that.

Once I had this card all done I decided to try some Log Cabin Smooch Spray for a soft splattered effect. Well, it's splattered all right, but not sure how soft or subtle it is. I am still learning with that stuff, for sure. Hope you like it! I'll be back after awhile with some monogram note cards I'm working on for the boutique coming up that I am a vendor for.

Hope you have a great weekend!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Watercolor Trio (Summer Mini catalog)

Accessories: Designer Label punch, Modern Label punch, Jumbo brads in Chocolate Chip, Ticket corner punch, Log Cabin Smooch Spray, markers, Raspberry Tart DSP

Congratulations! {Diva Sketch}

Good morning ladies and gentlemen! Today I am bringing you a sketch challenge courtesy of Diva Coffee Break Designs! I was looking forward to this one, mostly because I hadn't stamped in a few days... but I gotta tell ya, I struck a few times before getting this one done! Fortunately I hadn't glued anything down so nothing had to be tossed, but it was UGLY! Anyway, I shifted gears and am pleased with how this one turned out.

You'd think with all the shimmery Smooch spray, shiny ribbon, embossed sentiment and rhinestones it would be a bit glitzy for my style, but I actually like all those elements together. In case you don't recognize it, the DSP on the bottom is from the Cottage Wall collection that is current still. The stamps I've used are the Medallion background (you have this right?!?) and Well Scripted. The Smooch spray I mentioned is new in the Summer Mini Catalog available NOW (I will get my link up in the sidebar soon- sorry for the delay!) and is fun to play with. I am so glad I got the Color Catcher to spray in so it doesn't fly all over the place. How helpful this thing would've been back when we did hairspray and Pearlex!

I have a Stampin' Tip for you today: If you want to emboss in a color (like Rich Razzleberry for this example) and you only have Classic ink you still can! Just ink up your stamp with Versamark FIRST then with the Classic ink THEN stamp. If you emboss with clear powder it will work just like always!


Anyway, I hope you'll play along with the Divas! We enjoy checking out all the different takes on our challenges and would love to consider you as our next Featured Artist!

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Medallion background, Well Scripted

Colors: Rich Razzleberry

Accessories: Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spray, White Organza ribbon, Scallop Trim border punch, Square Ice Rhinestone Brads, White craft ink, Cottage Wall DSP