Happy Birthday Tote

Today I want to share a gift card tote that I made for a good friend of ours at church. We made these "Notes and Totes" at the Quarterly Meeting I attended last weekend, and I thought it would be perfect to stick a gift card in instead of notecards. I used Purely Pomegranate and Pumpkin Pie for the colors...I think it has a nice fall feel to it, but it's still bright and festive for a birthday. I used the Eat Cake stamp set by Stampin' Up! and added Yellow Stickles to the candles. There is Pumpkin Pie ribbon for the handles and black brads to accent. I also drew stars around the scallop to mimic the background on the bag. (For those of you who want to know, I tucked a gift card for Barnes and Noble and a gift card for Starbucks in the tote...with the birthday card, of course!)

Yesterday we ran to Home Depot for a few painting supplies (my husband is painting the baby's room this week), and Home Depot had a kids' workshop kind of thing going on outside. Cameron is obviously too young to do much, but we HAD to get him one of the little aprons they were giving away! How cute is this?!?!? Can you see that they put his name on the apron? Just like an employee! :) And, yes, he IS eating the apron.

Have a great day! I got a couple of new stamps (one A Muse and one Penny Black) so I hope to post a card or two later today! You will LOVE the Penny Black stamp...it's a Christmas stamp and SO SO cute!

Anniversary Card

I needed to make an anniversary card for someone with an anniversary in a couple of days, so I decided to try JanTink's reverse masking technique. It is very simple to do, and directions can be found here: Stamps, Paper, Scissors: Reverse Masking Tutorial or Why Do I Do This To Myself? I don't know that I am crazy about the gold-embossed ferns, but I like this card overall. It's simple, which matches the earthy tones in it.

I also wanted to share a picture of Cameron...of course! He did something funny today, and I ran for the camera. He has what is called a "Snack Trap" for his Cheerios, etc. It has a rubber opening on top that he can put his hand it and pull out some of the snack, but it keeps spilling to a minimum. He put his hand in for some Kix this afternoon, and he got his hand stuck! HA! It was so funny. He kept looking at it and shaking it! Eventually he got his hand out....with snacks!

Better late than never?? ;)

Okay, so when I said I'd be on "later" to post some projects from the Quarterly Meeting I attended, I meant 2 days later...ha! Maybe a bunch of project pictures will make up for it?? ;) Let me first apologize for the so-so pictures. I am working on getting better pictures of my projects!

The first project is a small notepad and pen holder designed by Jen Benton. I love this project! This holder features the Season of Joy stamp set from the Holiday Mini catalog as well as the Whimsy jumbo wheel. The colors are Old Olive and Ruby Red. The main image is stamped on Glossy White cardstock and the designer paper is actually the Celebration designer wrapping paper from the Holiday Mini. We will be making a fall version of this project at my next stamp camp. Let me know if you would like to attend!

This project is called Notes and Totes, and it was designed by Lisa Pressley. It is a little mini tote bag that holds the 3x3 cards and envelopes! How cute! I used the Dashing paper, Real Red, and Very Vanilla cardstock. The Snow Flurries set was used for the snowflakes. Don't you just love the Wild Wasabi ribbon around the bag? It's held on by gold brads, and it just looks like a real purse! The tag is held on by a linen thread.

This cute little lapel pin was designed by Nancy Carr. This is shrink plastic stamped with StazOn Black and SU! White and Ballet Blue craft inks. I stamped the Big On Christmas and Snow Flurries designs, then colored with watercolor pencils. I punched holes in the plastic where I wanted the snowflakes to dangle, then I heat-shrank the plastic using an embossing heat tool. So easy and with a big WOW-factor! Nancy shared a great trick of the trade for these...She pins the plastic to a piece of cardboard (through one of the punched holes) to hold the plastic in place during heating. That saves your fingers from burning and your piece from becoming misshapen!

This project is a star book, and it was designed by Ariel Matera. I have not yet been able to get a good picture of the inside, but there is a tutorial for these books on SCS found here: Splitcoast Technique Tutorials: Star Card. I used Blue Bayou and Whisper White cardstock. Blue Bayou Prints Designer Series Paper was used on the inside, and Blue Bayou double-stitched ribbon holds it all together. I stamped the focal piece using the Priceless stamp set in Blue Bayou and Soft Sky. I like it, but it definitely needs some glitter!

This wonderful gift card holder purse was designed by Sharon Maranich. It uses a black piece of cardstock folded over to make the base of the purse. Then I added Pumpkin Pie cardstock and Creepy Crawly designer paper unevenly for the next layer. A strip of Pumpkin Pie forms the "latch", which is held down with a piece of velcro. I used the Batty For You stamp set on the latch. The black spider off-centered is a piece of confetti! Cute, huh? I also outlined the mosaic designer paper with a white Signo gel pen.

This last project was not a Quarterly Meeting project, but something I made to go in the gift bags for the presenters. I found these Mint Chocolate Hershey sticks on sale at Target...yum! I tied a piece of Apple Green grosgrain ribbon(now retired!) around it to look like some leaves and stamped one of the little flowers from Fabulous Flowers for the bloom. I stamped in Apricot Appeal and Pink Passion using the rock and roll technique (you stamp in your lighter color, then roll your edges around in the darker color) and added an Ice Rhinestone brad for the center. This was simple, uses very few supplies, and is cute!:)

Hope you enjoyed! I should be posting more often this week...I do have several birthdays coming up that I need to make cards for! :)

Our little MAN :)

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago, and it just cracks us up! Drew had Cameron with him down in the living room watching a football game. Drew had been sipping on this HUGE Ocean Water drink from Sonic (his favorite). He nodded off during the game, and when he woke up, Cameron's pants were off and he was watching the football game and drinking Drew's soda! HA! Our little man in training, right? ;)

I'll be back on later to show some pictures of projects from our NC Demos Quarterly Meeting. It was a great time! Ladies who attended, I am so glad to have met you and stamped with you!

Happy Friday!

Hello, everyone! It's been a busy week, so I'm just now posting again. First, I want to share some things I made with you! My NC Demos group is having a quarterly meeting tonight and tomorrow, so I have been working on some things for that. I made some peppermint patty purses using two pieces of punched paper using SU!'s scallop punch. I layered on a stamped piece punched with the 1 3/8" circle punch, glittered, and attached to each side of a York Peppermint Patty. I used black gingham ribbon and colored with an orange Sharpie marker (for permanence) to create a cute Halloween-themed ribbon! I used the Batty For You stamp set with Basic Black and Only Orange cardstocks, all by Stampin' Up!

I also made a birthday card to be donated to the NC Demos birthday RAK program. I was really unhappy with this card in the process of making it, but I am actually pleased with how it turned out! I used Groovy Guava, Basic Black, and Shimmery White cardstocks. I stamped the main image and the butterfly using the Priceless stamp set. The sentiment is from Happy Everything. I used StazOn black ink and watercolored using Groovy Guava and So Saffron. The ribbon is my favorite part. I used the Groovy Guava wide ribbon from the Sherbet Ribbon Originals. I was trying really hard to think of something cute and not too plain to do with this ribbon. All I did was cinch the ribbon in the middle and secure with mini glue dots to look like a bow! I like it...what do you think?

The last few pictures I want to share are from Tuesday night. We went to Freedom Park with Drew's company for a picnic, and we snapped some pictures of Cameron having a blast on the playground! Some of the pictures are a little blurry, but they are so cute that I have to share them anyway! :) You might notice that Cameron's mouth looks a little swollen. He fell on the kitchen floor with his sippy cup Monday night and busted himself up! He separated his frenulum (the thing that connects your upper lip to your gumline above your teeth). Poor baby...

The first picture is so blurry, but he is having so much fun going down the slide! The second picture shows Drew helping Cameron start down the slide.

This is Cameron and me together! Cameron is looking up at Drew and waving at him. There are very few pictures of Cameron and me together, we've noticed. I usually take the pictures! We decided we should make it a point to take more with me in them. Not that I want to be in the pictures, especially now that I'm 25 weeks pregnant! ;)

Peek-a-boo! :)

September Stamp Camp Projects!

Hello! Sorry I've been MIA the last few days, but we have been very busy! Tomorrow is Youth Sunday at church and my husband, who is the youth minister at our church, has been preparing a sermon, and we've been working with our wonderful youth on some things. My parents came for a visit, too, and we enjoyed having them here.

On top of that, I had a stamp camp today! We made chipboard-covered jumbo paperclips. We used the Blossoms and Basics chipboard set and covered them with the Cutie Pie Paper, both by Stampin' Up! They are very easy to make! I just used a glue stick to cover the chipboard with the paper, a pop-up glue dot to attach the pieces, and used Crystal Effects to glue the paper clip to the chipboard! So easy!!




We also used the cloisonne technique to make this simple card. You simply find a fun, colorful picture in a magazine (I found a Ralph Lauren ad in a Real Simple magazine!) and stamp your line image in VersaMark, then emboss in gold embossing powder. Cut out your image and adhere it to your card! How cool is that? I love the teal shades in this card. And the fact that it is simple and blank.

The last project we made is this toilet paper tube Halloween treat basket! I used Nichole Heady's directions, which can be found here- {capture the moment}: Papertrey Newsletter. Her blog is fantastic; please do check it out! I used the Stampin' Up! Apple Cider papers in the mini catalog, the scallop punch for the bottom, and the Batty For You stamp set. I am not a big Halloween person, but I love Batty For You! One of the stamps is a vampire that says, "Fangs for the memories..." How could you NOT love that?!?!?

I hope you enjoy these projects. Have a great night, and I'll have more for you soon! Hopefully tomorrow! ;)

Here is one picture of Cameron from Sunday at church. Unfortunately, our windows on our church were spray painted, so that explains why the police car was at our church! Anyway, Cameron's wonderful Sunday School teacher took him to see the police car. He seemed so excited! :) Cameron is really into cars right now. Whenever he sees them, he says "Vroom, vroom"!

I also wanted to share a recipe with you today! We receive the Kraft Food and Family magazine and just received the Fall issue. Wow! It has so many recipes that we want to try! Last night's dinner was the Speedy Chicken Stiry-Fry, which is like Chinese Chicken and Broccoli. If you like that, this meal is for you. It seriously tastes like take-out! The best thing was that this recipe was really quick to make and also really quick to clean up! Try it and let me know if you like it as much as we did. I served white rice with this instead of the pasta, by the way.

Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry

8 oz. angel hair pasta

2 c. broccoli florets

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1/2 c. Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame dressing

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/3 c. dry roasted peanuts

Cook pasta as directed, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Meanwhile, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6-8 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and broccoli; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with the peanuts.

Okay, I can't share what I was stamping today because I want my Saturday stamp camp people to see it first! However, I suppose I could find SOMETHING to show you! I am tutoring a sweet girl and made a clipboard for her to start her school year off with. I also made one for her older sister (who I taught a couple years agowhile teaching at a local Christian school) and their younger brother. I will show you the three clipboards I made. They mostly use Basic Grey papers as well as some unidentified papers I've had for a while! I embellished with buttons, chipboard letters, Prima flowers, and ribbon! Hope you like them! Something new soon, I promise!

What a day!

Whew! What a day it has been. We woke up to carpenter ants in the kitchen....EWW! I cannot stand an ant. They are just creepy-crawly and gross. Since then, it's been just crazy! Anyway, it is finally winding down now. Needless to say, I don't have anything brand new to show you in the way of cards, but I do have one simple Christmas card I made last week, I believe. I wanted to use Doodle This to make a poinsettia, so I layered two of the flowers together and curled the petals out to make it 3D. I embossed the flowers in gold embossing powder on Real Red cardstock, then put it on a 3x3 black card. The sentiment is from the hostess set So Many Sayings and the velvet ribbon (isn't it SO pretty??) is from the Sherbet Ribbon Originals. I have a couple of pictures of Cameron and some recipes I'm planning on sharing with you tomorrow. And who knows? Hopefully I'll have time to stamp something for you! :)

First Post!

Well, okay, I'm taking the plunge, too. I am starting a blog in order to do a few things. I would like to share my card and paper craft creations with you. I will also be sharing my son (and soon, my daughter as well!) with you! Cameron is a riot, and I am sure you will all love seeing his documented adventures. I also hope to inspire you in your Christian walk, if you have one, and if you don't, well, perhaps I can be a good influence! ;)

Let's start with why I chose the name "You Made Me Ink" for my blog... Have you ever seen Finding Nemo? There is one part in the beginning where Nemo is checking out a boat with his friends...one of his friends scares another (the squid) and she "inks". Her response? " Aww! You guys made me ink!" Here's a link... YouTube - Finding Nemo: Ink scene! Check it out!

Since this is going to be a blog to share cards, kids, etc. with you, how about if I share a few pictures? I made three cards this morning, all triangle trifold cards (directions here: Splitcoast Technique Tutorials: Triangle Trifold). The last picture will be of Cameron in a bubble bath...his favorite thing! Take notice of his poor little black eye. He slipped in the tub a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Mandy