Why buy the cow…

…when you can get the milk for free?  I came upon this picture and quote from  pad of  ATC papers from Memories in the Making that I have had for a while. I loved the sassy dancer in the picture and used stamps from About Art Accents to make this Valentine for my hubby:

The caption on the vintage image says "Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free", Stamps by About Art Accents

And here is the inside of the card:

this in on the inside of the card. To print white text on colored background with your computer simply load white paper in your printer, then in your photo software make a new document and fill it with your background color then type over it with white and print. Or you can make a text box using MS word.

I hope it is funny and not lame. I used heart stamps from About Art Accents and I stamped them on textured cardstock and heat embossed them in white so they would look like the iced lollipops you get this time of year. On smooth paper they stamp very clean and crisp. The gold charm and heart paper is by about art accents as well, the houndstooth border is the leftover piece from my card yesterday (shabby houndstooth.)

Here is a tip: When you are die cutting or punching a shape from cardstock cut it from the center of the paper, that way you can use the leftover piece as a photo mat (you will only see the edges so you can get die cuts from the center because it will be hidden under the top layer, or used the leftover piece as a frame like I did in todays card. See how I trimmed the heart paper into an oval? I will use the leftover “frame” on another card, no waste! You can easily get layers and frames for 8 standard cards out of an 8.5″x11″ sheet of paper, thrifty!

Thanks for stopping by and till next time happy crafting!

A Sketch and a Freebie!

Happy Thursday! This week Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff is sponsoring the challenge blog Tuesday Morning Sketches (our very own Melissa Craig is the hostess!) All of us gals on the LSS team used the sketch this week, I flipped the sketch and used it on the card on the right, I used paper from the Shabby Houndstooth kit and stamps from the Pretty Primitive set, both available from Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff:

Stamps/paper: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff, Markers: Bic Mark-it, Prismacolor

Here is a closer look at the card done with the sketch, be sure to stop by the TMS blog to see the original sketch and link up your card for a chance to win free stamps of your choice from Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff.

This card was quick to make! Hot gluing the ribbon & flower was a real time saver!

I had so much fun making the first card (plus leftover houndstooth paper and an stamps) do I made this one too. To give flower petals depth vary the colors slightly from petal to petal. The bird stamp is from the Pretty Primitive set and the sentiment is from All Around Phrases.

Blue, yellow and tan are a classic country color combo!

Here is a look at the new sets I used:

9 stamps only $5 at Lindsay's stamp stuff!

6 papers on sale for $2.50 (regular $3)! They are designed to use little printer ink, try them today!

And now how about a freebie? this kitty is “purrfect” for Valentines day and the oval frame makes it a snap to trim. click the picture to download 🙂

a freebie for you, happy Valentines day!

Now lets see what the DT had up their sleeve this week, one of the girls used the freebie in her card and another designer has a bonus coordinating freebie for you…better visit them all so you don’t miss a thing (and leave them some love 🙂

Janet Rossi

Shannon Neparko

Margie Visnick

Lisa Jurecek

Erin Bailey

Tracey Allen

Diana Stout

Melissa Craig

Leanne Garner

Tamara Bennett

Cindi Hooks

Micki Harper

A reminder about shopping: If you shop at the Lindsay’s stamp Stuff Shophandmade store you get a free single stamp for ever $5 you spend but you need to wait (not too long though) for me to email you your order, if you shop at the LSS shop at MyGrafico you get your stuff instantly but no free stamps with purchase. Due to the size of the houndstooth paper packs (too large to email) they will only be available at the LSS shop at MyGrafico. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Rubber Stamp Madness!

What a week! I find out that one of my cards made the cover of Vamp Stamp News and the same day that issue arrived in my mailbox so did the new Rubber Stamp Madness Magazine and they picked one of my cards for the Asian feature and it is on the homepage of their website, check it out here. Then Last night I got a phone call from the editor of  The Decorative Painter and they are going to publish another one of my paintings! Woohoo! OK enough Bragging 🙂

Digital Stamp: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff, Paper: Bo-Bunny, DCWV, Rubber stamp sentiment: SU!

These cards are made using the Sweet Stuff Digital stamp set from Lindsay’s stamp Stuff. You get 11 digital stamps in png and jpg format fro $5, SWEET!

I colored the image with my Bic-Markits then punched the corners and added chalk to the background, easy!

to get a two toned effect on the cake I colored it first with my bic marki-its in pink and brown then took a clear prismacolor marker and colored over the bic area where I wanted it lighter.

All of the pink frames, corners and labels were cut from a single sheet of Die Cuts with a View pattern cardstock (From the be mine stack) there is probably 30 labels on that one sheet and they are golssed and glittered too! Think about that when you buy patterned paper, sometime a single sheet can make lots of accents for cards! all the cupcake stamps are from the Sweet Stuff set available at Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff.

Thanks for stopping by, til next time happy crafting!

Toothless!

My Daughter Maizy has had a loose tooth for weeks, it is just about ready to let go, she lost her first tooth a couple of weeks ago and her new teeth are ready to come in. So when I hear my son yell “Look, your tooth came out!” I ran to Maizy to see her missing tooth…Well, it wasn’t Maizy, it was her twin sister Lila’s tooth that popped out, it was barely loose and she didn’t even notice it come out, we thought we had lost it but after much searching it was on her shirt the whole time:)

Digital Paper: Lindsay's stamp Stuff, Punch: EK Success, Black paper: DCWV, Stamp: Fiskars, Font: LD Buttercream

I snapped this picture right after she lost the tooth, I only took one because this was so perfect. I used new paper from my Uptown houndstooth paper pack (on sale for $2.50) and paper from DCWV, I added some crotched flowers and I cut the title with my Cricut using SCAL software and the font LD buttercream. I think it is Fabulous!

*NEW! I just got a coupon code for 10% off SCAL software: 4190114 offer good through 2/28/10!

Maizy still has not lost her tooth. Until next time happy crafting!

New Papers & a Freebie!

I was looking for some basic houndstooth paper for a while and darn it, I couldn’t find any! So I decided I would make some myself and make them EXACTLY the way I wanted. Here are a few projects made with my new Shabby Houndstooth papers available at  Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff:

Papers & Stamps & Heart pocket template: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff, Pink Labels: DCVW, Frame Die Cut: Mujka Design, Ribbon, Target

Here is a look at the papers, the Shabby Houndstooth paper pack has a lightly distressed and textured look and the pattern is smaller, while the Uptown Houndstooth pack had a clean bold look with a larger print. All paper in both packs are 12″x12″ at 300 dpi and they are on sale for $2.50 each!

6 papers on sale for $2.50 for a limited time:)

Also on sale for $2.50 for a limited time!

To print my papers to scale on my 8.5″x11″ printer I selected “8.5”x11″ borderless” then clicked “center on page” and made sure the scaling box said 100%. You can print it smaller if you like too, it is digital so it is up to you! I also used Digital stamp from the Love Grows here set on this page and a cute SVG photo mat from Mujka Design that you can cut with your Cricut if you have SCAL software. I used my Cricut to cut the scalloped mat on the card and the woven heart valentine pocket, you can get that SVG in the Sweet Treat SVG set. The stamp on the card is also from the Love Grows here set.

I used inexpensive Bic Markits to color the digital stamps!

To get a nice blended color with my Bic Mark-its I first colored the leaves with bright green, then colored the highlight with yellow (t will lighten the green like magic!) then I added dark green shadows and blended them with the bright green. The cherries are done the same way, I colored them bright red, colored the highlights with pink, then outlined them with a dark berry color and blended that with the bright red, it took seconds and the effect is wonderful!

I realized after I took the photo that this is the back of the pocket so the heart ribbon is upside down, oh well, nobodies perfect 🙂

And now for the freebie! I got a little wild making some papers the other day and I thought my blog readers could use a little bit of funkyness so here are some funky woodgrain papers for ya, enjoy!

Click the picture to download 🙂

Now lets see what my DT has been up to this week, be sure to swing by their blogs and leave them some love:)

Kristen Hamlin

Karin Martin

Jennifer Bliss

Cheryl Gorka

Anette “Nettie” Robins

Cassandra Cushman

Tanya Johnson

Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Quick, Cute, Fun!

Happy Weekend! Here is a quick calendar perfect to keep in the car, in your purse or by the phone, so handy! You could use up some index print photos on the mini calender pages too or use the handy holder to keep business cards in:

Make this cute set in minutes! Template: Lindsay's stamp Stuff, Paper: K&Co, Calender ATC: about.com

I used the Folio template from Lindsay Stamp Stuff, a printable version is in the Recipe Digital stamp set (print the template at 50%) and an svg version is in the Recipe Card & Folio SVG set (SVG files can be cut with your Cricut and SCAL software). the adorable ATC calendars are a freebie from About.com.

Have fun and craft something quick this weekend! Till next time happy crafting!

I’m a Cover Girl!

I am so excited I had to share this news with you: I have a card on the cover of the February 2010 issue of Vamp Stamp News!

Woohooo my card made the cover!

It is the one on the top and I used digital stamps for the Love Grows here set. Then I used some heart rubber stamps in light blue ink (you will have to get the magazine to see the detail) to mark of the bingo card like the markers bingo players use and I stamped hearts in the scallops. For the rest of the instructions you will have to get a copy of the magazine, it ships today so it will be in stores in a week or two or you can order it from the VSN website.

Here is a look at the Love Grows Here Digital stamp set:

The Love Grows Here digital stamp set, only $5!

Thanks for stopping by, til next time happy crafting!

Sweet Treats & a Freebie!

The kids had a snowday yesterday so what better time to make Valentines for their classmates! I, of course can’t be “hand cutting” 60 favors so I designed a few SVG diecuts to cut with my Cricut machine and SCAL software to make them quickly and easily and all the files are in the Sweet Treat template set available at Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff:

Fun easy crafts to make with your Cricut or Print & Cut! Only $3 in the shop!

Here are some closer looks at the favors, There is a heart lollipop cover in there too, I forgot to craft that one though 😛

Mix and match the elements for fun designs, glue to a flat lollipop and you are done!

For the heart pocket you need to cut 2 of the woven heart files then weave them together “old school”, If you have forgotten the technique since grade school don’t worry, I included instructions with the printable files:)

remember these from grade school? I love the homespun look!

This ladybug pop is my favorite and it is only two pieces! It is simple enough for a preschooler to make and you can cut 9 from one 8.5″x11″ in black and red, thats cheap and easy!

A fun and easy favor (it is my fave!)

Not only can they be used for treat holders but they are wonderful designs to add to a card or scrapbook page, I think the flower would be pretty on an Easter page!

Now here is the freebie, I made two simple tags that you can print out whatever size you like but I recommend printing a sheet the same size as the largest circle punch you own so you can just punch them out and let the youngsters write in the names. Click the picture to download.

Nothing fancy but it is useful for all of those classroom valentines:)

Now let’s see what the Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff DT has been up to:

Janet Rossi

Shannon Neparko

Margie Visnick

Lisa Jurecek

Erin Bailey

Tracey Allen

Diana Stout

Melissa Craig

Leanne Garner

Tamara Bennett

Cindi Hooks

Micki Harper

I hope you are not sick of my Valentine projects, I do have great fun with them! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Charmed, I’m sure!

Nothing adds a bit of Victorian elegance to a project like dainty charms. They are perfect for Valentines day too, here is a card made with little gold charms and rubber stamps from About Art Accents:

Stamps: About Art Accents, Paper: K&co, DCWV, Die Cuts: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff

The banners were just some extras I cut from my Pretty Banner SVG set, I thought they added a bit of whimsy to the card.

For the decorations on the banners I used a stamp and embossing powder (EP) two ways. On the end banners I smooshed an ink pad on a scrap of cardstock and sprinkled it with rust tapestry EP and heated it, then quickly added another layer of EP and heated that too, while it was hot I pressed my Stamp into the melted embossing powder and let it cool *note I inked my stamp up with gold pigment ink before I pressed it into the EP to keep it from sticking. For the center banner I just stamped and embossed then colored with Tombo brush markers. I used hot glue to attach the charms, buttons and banners.

Why not try using charms on your next project, it WILL be charming, I’m sure! Thanks for stopping by and till next time happy crafting:)