Cards that make you giggle....

Before I get to the cards can I tell you something else that makes me "giggle"?  I have been asked to be one of the guest designers on the fabulous Create with Connie and Mary blog!  I am honored to say that both of these ladies have become on-line friends and they are both crazy talented.  But that is not the best part--they have a bunch of really talented designers besides themselves that all join forces to bring you at downloadable collection of step by step tutorials all for one low price!

And the excitement don't stop there--because if you join now you can get early bird pricing--that is a $5 savings.  You will get 24 full color, step by step tutorials for only $19.95!  Nice huh?!  

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled during the next week as we celebrate 

Preview Week

 

 Stay tuned for freebie tutorials, blog candy and of course the early bird pricing.

Click the image above to learn more and sign up now!

So in honor of this I thought I would make a mini tutorial for you showcasing the Giggle Greetings stamp set.  This is the stamp set that I will be featuring in the Summer Collection mentioned above.  

***this is just a mini tutorial and not the full step by step tutorials that will be included in the collection***

I made a cute little box set of 4 by 4 cards using each of the images from the set. 

All of the cards are basically the same except for the accent color and image.

And they all have matching envelopes too!

Here are the four cards in the box...

Each card has a base made from a 8" by 4" piece of Island Indigo card stock folded in half to create a 

4" by 4" card.  They all have a layer of DP from the Quarterfancy Specialty Designer Paper that is a 3 3/4" square.  The middle accent color strip is 1" by 3 3/4".  (Two strips are Daffodil Delight, one is Smoky Slate and the last one is Baked Brown Sugar.)  The next element on the card from bottom to top is a piece of Island Indigo card stock that is 2 1/2" by 3 inches.   Next is the accent color square this is 2 1/8" and finally the focal image square that is 2".  The sentiments are stamped on scraps of Whisper White card stock and added to the bottom of the Island Indigo piece . All of the images are colored in with markers or ink pads with a blender pen.  Three of the cards have the second half of the saying from the set on the inside.

(I cut my images and sentiments apart to make them easier to use separately) 

The box was very basic.  I have created this template for you to follow.  I added a strip of DP to the front of the box just to bring it all together.  Click on the image below to see the full size template and read the cutting/scoring directions.

And finally I made matching envelopes by trimming down our regular envelopes and adding a matching piece of Designer Series Paper to them.  I made a tutorial on how to do this a few years ago--see below

Envelope Tutorial Can Be Found HERE

you will love this simple way to make 4.25" envelopes

I hope you enjoyed the sample I shared today!

Now go enjoy your Father's Day--there must be some one in your lives that you can celebrate with--right?

Mary Jo 

 

Try Stamping On Tuesday!

Here we go again--we have another sketch for you to try.  I am still working on staff appreciation card sets--this is number six.

 

Here is the sketch we are working with this week!

And here are the cards individually.....

 So Saffron

 Lucky Limeade

 Pretty in Pink

 Calypso Coral

Island Indigo

other supplies used

Tea for Two DP, oval framelit, nestability scallop die, blender pen, markers

Be sure to check out what the rest of the team did

and play along too

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CHALLENGE

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 264 (TSSC264)

Wow, this month is just flying by--glad to have nice weather though!  Thanks so much for stopping by today-it's Monday so that means I have a brand new sketch challenge for you to play along with.

Here are some basic rules for participation..

1. You have a full week to play along!
2. Create a new card using the sketch as your inspiration.
3. Use any products you choose.
4. Add your card to your blog or other on-line spot and link back to this challenge.
5. Come back here and add a direct link to your sample for the challenge and NOT you home page of your blog--people will not look for your challenge card--trust me.
6. And this one is not really a rule but a request--get rid of that word verification!  It makes it hard for us to comment on your samples.  It is easier for you to delete the spam then for us to jump through tons of hoops to comment.  If your put your comments on moderation you do not have to worry about spam--you will have the option to delete it BEFORE it ever goes on your blog so you will ALWAYS be safe!
7. Have fun and tell you friends to play too!

And now for the sketch....

I have been working on a bunch of card sets for our staff at the middle school.  Today I am sharing my fifth set.  This one is a hybrid card--I do not have that many school themed cards and I am trying to make some of the sets gender neutral so I opened MDS and created the center image for my cards.  Kept this set super simple and used black and read--don't know why that always makes me think of school????

I am excited that this also fits the new bi-weekly challenge on Latenightstampers --we are making gifts for teachers! 

Now that you seen the sketch and my sample let's move on to the real talent -- my fabulous design team and their samples....

Mary Brown

Carolyn Bennett

Tanya

Nicole Tugrul

Eileen LeFevre

Jonia Smith

Robbie 

Sue Root

I told you they were talented!  Now we want to see what you do with the sketch!
Be sure to hop on back and add your sample to the linky tool below.
Thanks, Mary Jo

Staff Appreciation card set number 4!

If you are a regular here you are aware that I am the coordinator for our middle school staff appreciation luncheon and I have been working on some card sets to give as prizes.  This is set number 4!

As I have stated in previous posts the supplies are a mix and match of stuff from my stash.  The base of these cards is Bashful Blue.  I think they are one of my favorites!  Simple and cute--don't you think?  Anyway, lots to do today so this is going to be a short and sweet post--enjoy your day!

School Staff Appreciation Card Group Number 2

As I mentioned on Monday I am in charge of our Middle School Staff Appreciation Luncheon and in an effort to make it a bit more special without adding too much more to the budget I am making some of the gifts.  You will notice that all of the card sets from this point on will be a combination of different items I am finding in my stash--trying to use up some of the CRAZY amounts of stuff laying around my studio--so there will not be full details given for the cards as I am not sure I even know all the details, lol!  Hope you enjoy the ideas though.  The first set was posted in Monday so this is set number two!  Monday's set was pretty feminine so I will be trying to stay a bit more gender neutral for the next few.

I am so happy with this card--I have had this ruler tape in my kitchen drawer for years and did not really know what to do with it, but could not get rid of it because I knew one day it would dawn on me what I can do with it--well the day has come!!!  This was such an easy card to reproduce too--those who follow my blog know I do not like to make multiples of the same card! 

The lighter gray on the card is one of our new colors. Smokey Slate--the base is Basic Gray. 

Hope you have a great day!
Mary Jo

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 263 (TSSC263)

Welcome to week 263 of my weekly sketch challenges.  I love the sketch this week and the Design Team rocked it -- as always.  Wait to you see all the fabulous samples for this week.  Let's get started with the sketch...

I went all out and decided to show you guys the brand new in colors for the upcoming catalog.  I will be sharing lots of card sets over the next week or so due to my need to make lots of gift packs for the teachers and staff at our Middle School.  Hope you enjoy them.  This first set is using the this week's sketch and some brand new stamps along with the brand new in-colors.  The cards are all identical except for the color and embossing folders used on each.

Here is a shot of the group with the new color names!  You are going to love them!

 Stamps: Wildflower Meadow, the new plaid wheel and One in a Million
Paper: See Above colors and Whisper White
Ink: See Above colors and Basic Black
Other: marker, embossing folders, button embosslit, modern label punch, white baker's twine

Another thing you are going to love are the fabulous samples the Design Team has for this week's challenge.  They are so talented and I am so grateful for all they do each week! 

 

Mary Brown

Tanya

Jonia Smith

Eileen LeFevre

Nicole Tugrul

Sue Root

Carolyn Bennett

Robbie

We are excited to see your samples add them below.. 

  

Here are some basic rules for participation..

1. You have a full week to play along!
2. Create a new card using the sketch as your inspiration.
3. Use any products you choose.
4. Add your card to your blog or other on-line spot and link back to this challenge.
5. Come back here and add a direct link to your sample for the challenge and NOT you home page of your blog--people will not look for your challenge card--trust me.
6. And this one is not really a rule but a request--get rid of that word verification!  It makes it hard for us to comment on your samples.  It is easier for you to delete the spam then for us to jump through tons of hoops to comment.  If your put your comments on moderation you do not have to worry about spam--you will have the option to delete it BEFORE it ever goes on your blog so you will ALWAYS be safe!
7. Have fun and tell you friends to play too!

Mary Jo



Patterned Occasions Box Set Tutorial

Since today is the first day of Sale-A-Bration I thought I would share a brand new tutorial with you!  It is using two of the products that you can get for FREE during Sale-A-Bration!  Today's tutorial will give you step by step directions to make five cards--one with each of the images in the set--and a matching box to store them in!

Boxed Set of Cards using the Patterned Occasions Stamp Set

Included are some really fun layouts--all cutting measurements--lots of pictures

 and step by step directions!

As always you get this all for only $2.50.

  These are the FREE SAB items that are used in the tutorial...

Get yours today!

Hearts a Flutter Puppy- with a free mini tutorial.

The challenge on the Latenightstamper's blog this week is called Hearts a Flutter.  All of your samples for the week must have a heart on them.  I had lots of fun creating this darling dog card!  I will have to make an envelope for it but that is ok since he is just so dang cute it will be worth the little bit of extra effort.  Don't you think he is darling?

And I even have a little tutorial for you so you can make your own.  I made him using the Hearts Collection Framelits and a few other punches.  This is a real quick tutorial but should be enough. If you have questions feel free to post in the comments asking.  You need to be sure you leave your e-mail as blogger does not always show it.

 You will begin by cutting his head out of Crumb Cake card stock.  This is an 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inch piece of card stock folded in half to form a card base.  Be sure to position your largest scallop heart on the paper as shown below.  The fold is at the top of the heart.  You will want to be sure you have the heart overlapping as shown below.

 Next cut his ears--they are just the next smaller size heart cut from  Early Espresso card stock (I know it don't look like Early Espresso in the picture). You will need to cut this heart in half from top to bottom as shown below. 

For the jowls you will move down a couple of sizes to the third smallest heart in the collection.  You will cut the jowls from Crumb Cake and add a bit of sponging around the edges of it with Crumb Cake ink.

Cut a nose from the smallest heart in the collection using Basic Black card stock.  The rest of the pieces are as follows.

Two White Extra Large Ovals for the whites of his eyes.  Two Small Ovals from Pool Party card stock for the blue in his eyes.  Two Basic Black circles punched from the Itty Bitty Shapes Circle Punch. I used a white gel pen for the dots of his eyes and the Early Espresso marker for the whisker spots.  And finally one Real Red oval for his tongue.  Here is a picture of the punches I used.

 Assemble as shown in the picture above. Have fun with him!  I know I did.  I added a large white heart inside and a Happy Valentine's sentiment.  Going to my young niece who loves dogs.

Want a sneak peek at my newest tutorial that will be posted later today???

Love You Tutorial

Coupon Booklet-with coupons--Matching Card--and mini Treat

All for only $2.50

Step by Step directions--lots of pictures--can be used again and again.

NOW ALL NEW TUTORIALS  ARE IMMEDIATELY DOWNLOADED

NO WAIT TIME THEY ARE E-MAILED TO YOU IMMEDIATELY AND AUTOMATICALLY AFTER PAYMENT IS MADE!

At this point the only tutorials that are automatically send are the two newest ones.  

One Sheet Wonder 2013 and this new one Love You --all others will be sent individually and by hand so may take a bit.  Thanks for your patience as I get them all on auto download.

Thanks for stopping by today!
Mary Jo

LNS--Trash to Treasure!

This week on the Latenightstamper's group our challenge is to go GREEN use something that would be trash on your project.  This is one of those challenges that generally make me cringe and wait to the last minute to do.  Not because it is hard but mostly because I am lazy, lol.  I like the fast gratification of making cards--not too much thinking just kind of do.  But you need to do a little thinking to turn a piece of garbage into something you can use again.  But I think I made it work--although I did wait till the last minute as always.  I have a few of these containers sitting around because I was wondering if cards would fit in them but I was too lazy to check when I thought about it and too forgetful to remember to bring in down to my craft room on the other times. So I figured today is the day--I grabbed the empty Cascade packet container (love these) and crossed my fingers that cards were gonna fit--and I am happy to say that YES!!! they do.  I actually got 25 cards into this with five separators.  Would make a great gift don't you think?!

I didn't like the way the top was so crooked so I just took it off and decorated the rim and then made the tabs stick out a bit above the top.  I separated the cards into five categories of Birthday cards--Feminine, Masculine, Teens, Children and General and added five of each card with envelops.  The wording was done on the MDS.   Hope you enjoy, off to see the fireworks now!

Happy today!
Mary Jo

More teacher gifts.

Know someone who loves to read.  I made a few of these for teacher gifts this year.  Super fast and just adorable.  The little tins are from the clearance rack at Stampin Up.  Of course they are sold out but I know many of you got them.  The inside has cute little book plates and book marks made with large paper clips.  We did these at club last month and the ladies loved them. 

Stamps:  First Day
Paper: Real Red, Kiwi, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black
Other: ribbon, paper clips, sticker sheets, circle punches, scallop circle punch, pop up glue dots.markers, misc dp

Happy Saturday!
Mary Jo