Ray of Sunshine CASE

May 4, 2015May 4, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

What happened to yesterday? Well, it was absolutely all over the place! It started out with finishing up this batch of handouts for a church youth lesson, 32 of them to be exact. I had to enlist some family help to get them done in time. They really looked beautiful all splayed out on the dining table.

We were off to church and it was so lovely. My lesson went really well, because I have a great group of young ladies that I get to work with. I made sure to share the extras before I came home, no need to add to the large stack of blog projects. We went up the hill to have dinner with my husbands parents, spending much needed time there. Only to return home to remember a church girls camp meeting that I had indeed completely forgot. What a busy day.

I did CASE myself on this one. But I needed a sunrise background to match the phrase which went perfectly with the theme of my lesson. Inking up all of those backgrounds can give your hand a bit of a cramp. But since I was all over the place I didn’t have a chance to share them with you.

So, I missed a day, sorry about that. It should be a bit more calm today, I hope. Let’s hope work is reasonable. Oh, and I get to pre-order today in the new Stampin’Up! catalog! It doesn’t go live for another month, but that is a perk of being a demonstrator!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Mixed Bunches of Sassy Salutations

May 1, 2015May 1, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Well Good Morning! Isn’t this just a huge ray of sunshine? Bright, happy, sunny, and they make me smile. What a great combo!

There is something about huge polka dots that just makes me smile. After adding a smattering of flowers and an adorable greeting, all you need is someone wonderful to share them with.

Out of this set, what is retiring? The paper of course. Such a versatile set, I will miss it. The angled tag topper punch. I am glad it have it. I love the curled and pretty ones, but sometimes you don’t want that. And of course the flower stamp used. It is from a set of designed flowers that also have center round stamps for layering and extra fun. I make backgrounds out of those all of the time. There is a coordinating punch for the flower that I didn’t use on this one. I didn’t have crushed curry ribbon, but the hello honey was just right. This particular ribbon is retiring, but the color will be with us for another year. It is hard to tell in my photo, but the ribbon is just a shade or two darker. And I love it!

These went together really fast. The perfect example of simple stamping with coordinating products to give it the professional look we all love.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Geometrical Confetti Celebration Retirement Party

April 28, 2015April 28, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

More retirement stuff? Absolutely! So, out of this project, what did I use that will be retiring? It would be easier to share what isn’t. That would be the whisper white paper and coordinating seam binding ribbon. Yup, everything else is heading out.

When I bought this stamp set I admit it was for the sentiments. Specifically, the cheer up buttercup one. Totally worth it in my mind. But I have gotten a little more attached to the funny little shapes. It is nice to do something different once in a while.

This card set was made from four cut and ready card bases. Three cards and one holder, and yes, the holder was made from a card base. A little scoring, a little edgelit work, a little inking and there you have it. Crazy, right? I need to get the whole video thing going, you would like to see how easy that one is. I surprised myself.

I am enjoying more and more making sets that I can use as gifts. People love getting pretty things they can turn around and use. I love the smile on their faces when they look at them.

Well, I had better get going. I have a prom dress to add sleeves to. That is okay, my sewing machine feels neglected when I paper craft so much.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Petite Pairs and Punches Retirement Party

April 27, 2015April 27, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Good morning to this retirement party! Every time I get into one of those designer series paper stacks I get a surprise. It is always something like, I don’t remember seeing this pattern, I should use this. My poor brain.

I do really like this grouping here. It is colorful but subtle at the same time. Can you believe how many products will be retiring out of this? The artisan label punch is one of my favorites. It will stay in my stash for sure.

Petite Pairs and Punches

I also didn’t think to put this bright of a yellow with lost lagoon. But I tried to use a daffodil delight card base to bring out the yellow, and it was too much. Just a little bit then, not too much.

And to complete any card combo is a cute little bag. This guy is made from one sheet of the stack. A simple scoring, a bit of ribbon, and a flower from the other punching and it is just right. And yes, a gift card will fit inside just right. My cuteness must have an additional purpose other than being cute. Who says that, right? But it is true.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Little Buddy Birthday and Petite Pairs Retirement Party

April 24, 2015April 24, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Well, after yesterday’s absolute shenanigans, I really wanted to keep it simple. I think things went well enough. These are two stamp sets that I will really miss, not to mention basic gray.

It is hard to tell in this photo, but I did stamp that adorable armadillo all over this basic gray paper. The little lines of the stamp almost disappear, but not quite. Perfect for a treat or a little gift card.

I painted this adorable little guy with me aqua painter using basic gray, smokey slate, and a touch of blushing bride for his nose. Really, how adorable.

I used one sheet of card stock for this trip. I cut the paper to measure 5 x 8.5, just under a half sheet, to make the little bag. Then I took the 6 x 8.5 portion, turned it on its side and cut it in half so the two card bases measured 3 x 8.5 and then scored at 4 1/4. The card fronts and inserts measure 4 x 2 3/4.

There, I even gave some measurements, I am trying to improve what I share. One day at a time!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Ray of Sunshine with Perfect Pennants

April 20, 2015April 20, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Color, color, and more color. I obviously had color on the mind. I have been wanting to make a card that felt like a sunrise. This fit the need nicely.

It wasn’t easy for me to leave it alone with just ink and a sentiment, but I managed. I have coordinating ribbon, but didn’t want to break up the colors. My supporting committee backed me up and here they are.

A friend of mine recently had an adorable little girl and I couldn’t wait to use this stamp for a baby card. It feels like a warm cuddle, just like a baby. Yummy.

I took my inks and sponges and went to work. I started at the bottom with crushed curry and sponged and swirled away. I progressed across the card with the four different colors ending with night of navy on the top. After the ink dried I stamped my sentiment where I wanted it to sit and embossed it with black powder. I headed to the big shot and cut out my image. Yes, that left a hole in my background piece. But with my framed bit also done in night of navy, it was all covered up. I just popped that up on dimensionals and called it done. A great technique on both fronts.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Flowering Flourishes with French?

April 18, 2015April 18, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Saturday is usually my day to go all out with some totally extravagant project. But today is workshop, so making sure I have everything just right takes priority. I couldn’t not do something though.

Clean and simple cards may not be my strength, but I totally nailed this one! I started out with the idea of stamping my background paper. After the first two stamps up one side I fell in love. I added one little flower in the top corner and stopped. Such an interesting feeling.

I knew I needed a tiny sentiment, so I went on the prowl. I came across a retired hostess set called Good Greetings. I had earned a couple of free sets and put the wrong code in for one of them. That was the french set. But I couldn’t bring myself to exchange it. And doesn’t it fit perfectly? You know it does.

How did I choose these colors? Well, I recently made an order to take advantage of that no shipping sale and stocked up on paper. The heavy stuff for sure. I added a few spools of cotton ribbon. You guessed it. Whisper white, blushing bride and island indigo. There they sat it the box just telling me to do it. Done.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Love is Kindness with Newsprint DSP

April 15, 2015April 15, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I wasn’t sure what I would come up with last night. I had pulled some product to work with, but when I sat down to do it, I wasn’t feeling it. Total do over. How about this awesome stamp instead? Absolutely!

I had been waiting until closer to Mother’s Day to use this beauty, because it so reminded me of my mom. She always makes flowers look beautiful, no matter how they show up. Even in rumpled newspaper.

I had to do echo stamping inside, but wanted my gift bag to mirror the stamp as well. I think it worked out pretty good, don’t you? Both the card and bag were made from one sheet of card stock, plus a little scrap to frame my stamped image.

I really couldn’t wait to make the little pretend newspaper on this image, like so many other stampers have done. It was so fun, even if it was a bit tricky. You should totally give it a try.

Just looking at this set under my spotlights makes me smile. I absolutely love them. With workshop coming this weekend, I might have to change a project? No, I will stay firm, but I don’t want to.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Mother’s Love

April 13, 2015April 13, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

This card is clean and simple, but perfect. I just got back from a trip visiting family and getting my second ready for university. I just had to make a Mother’s Day card right away. I wish I could just walk it over instead of mail it.

I am normally a stamp, punch, lots of layers kind of girl. But this stamp set just didn’t call for it. The stamps go so nicely together. I can see myself using these flowers all of the time. But I made myself wait until now. I hate waiting, but I love the feeling of something new to work with.

I also don’t usually stamp sentiments inside. I like to leave them blank for whatever I want to write, which is usually lots. But this set had such a perfect companion sentiment that I just had to, and then show you. Isn’t it wonderful?

Mom’s are the best, so they deserve beautiful things like this to know how much they are loved. I have many friends whose mothers have already passed, but don’t we all know a mother we can celebrate? Of course we do! Truly a great project.

Get out there and have a creative day!

Moana

Cheerful Critters Party

April 11, 2015April 11, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

There are never enough birthday cards to be made, never. Sometimes I just dip into my stash of designer paper, pick a sheet, and get working from there.

That is exactly where these two came from. Of course I love the Cheerful Critters stamp set. I know I teased it at first, but I have fallen in love with it every time I use it. Really, how cute are these guys!

I absolutely love my inside stamping to coordinate with the my card front. It makes me very happy. To the point that I have a hard time leaving the inside blank. Kind of like doing your hair. Everyone can make the front look nice, but the back needs just as much attention, or so my brain says.

I had a fun time using my stampin’ write markers on this guy. I have such confidence issues with them and making it look smooth. But I have to say, this one didn’t turn out too bad. Maybe I can do it after all.

And let me just say one more time, the perpetual birthday calendar stamp set is so absolutely wonderful. I use those little guys all of the time. Since they are designed to accent different months of the year, they go with everything. How perfect is that!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Blooming With Kindness Trio

April 10, 2015April 10, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

This set started with an experiment, had some problems, then turned the corner and gave me something beautiful. Pretty fun experiment there.

I started out wanting to use pink pirouette, saraha sand and very vanilla. The papers looked lovely together, however, the way they looked on the very vanilla compared to whisper white made all the difference.

The pink looked so different on the vanilla that it made it look like my card stock was the wrong color. That was odd for sure. But I loved the paper I had created using the huge flower from the blooming with kindness set, so I had to get creative.

I made other cards using the front and inside bits I had stamped on the very vanilla. Then I made another background piece on whisper white and the pinks were much more friendly. And I ended up loving the secondary cards more than my original. How about that?

Even though my results went a bit off, I do love the look I made. I stamped the flower with versamark ink onto the card stock and quickly sprinkled iridescent ice powder on the wet ink. I heat set it and while it was still tacky I hit it again with the powder and heat set it again. You can kind of see how shiny and sparkly it is.

Each card got a different sentiment, and they are all so beautiful. My daughter is the one that said we had to have the set. She was so right, my creative buddy.

Remember, there are no mistakes in art, only opportunities.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Throw Back Thursday with Essence of Love

April 9, 2015April 9, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I so enjoy dipping into my older stamps to create something. It is easy to get caught up in all of the new product available. It is the perfect reminder that I love all of the stamps I buy, and they should still get used, even if they are retired.

As you can tell, this floral stamp still looks as crisp and beautiful as the first time it got used, which was nearly ten years ago. I even pulled out some retired paper. That venetian romance dsp set is so beautiful. I opened my last pack of it to make these cards.

I loved mixing all of these elements together. Any time I get to use oranges I am a happy crafter. This particular card set brings together all of my favorite things. Flowers, butterflies, elegant ribbon, more flowers, lots of orange (tangerine tango), and the most beautiful sentiments ever. Like I said, my favorites.

With all that said, get into your stash of your favorite things, make something beautiful, and have a creative day.

Moana

Crazy About You Little Birthday Buddy

April 6, 2015April 6, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

This is one of the times where you don’t even have to think about coordination much at all. I wanted some chevrons in a baby card. Done. Pull the matching colors and some awesome tools and there you have it!

A girlfriend had asked about baby shower invitations with some of these components and I made some demos. They decided to do something different with photographs and never got to see these. So, I got to have the design fun and get to use the projects myself. Sounds like a win to me.

This little matching bag is not quite the size of the matching card, but it is so precious. Just right for a tiny gift and a gift card. What more could you ask for?

I think the little characters in the Little Birthday Buddy set are so adorable. I had fun coloring this toucan with the coordinating ink colors using blending pens. You always have the right marker color with those awesome tools.

Day one of the Utah trip has begun nicely. I got a surprise visit from my niece and got to shower my mother with beautiful cards. Awesome. Now I get to help her get caught up on her paper pumpkin kits. Also awesome!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Adventure Awaits the Best Day Ever!

April 5, 2015April 6, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

This day was so much fun. I know the Best Day Ever set is a retired sale-a-bration item, but it was the theme for the day. First of all, it was the first day of a long awaited spring break. Awesome!!

I have been working ahead to get ready for a trip to Utah with my family. We are going to get some awesome things done, getting my second child all ready for university, and spending more time with other family. Specifically, my oldest already at university and my parents. Talk about yummy!

Could this bag be any more awesome? I loved how the ribbon is tied and dangles all cool. I got the idea from the card below, when my knot was just too big for the spot I had. I was determined, and then cut off too much, and then loved the discovered result. So I put it to work properly on the bag. Love it!

These cards remind me of graduation. There are so many kids I know graduating this year, and these feel like a great send-off. Of course they are going to need a gift card inside, what graduate doesn’t need those?

To top it off, my daughter just made me smile. We had gotten our nails done and she just stated that we needed to make a card with our nail colors. Mission accomplished, and then some!

So, she called this #bestcardsetever! How cute is that?

Have a creative day!

Moana

Hello There Vivid Vases

April 4, 2015April 4, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Good Morning! Saturdays are busy, so I don’t always get to post first thing. But it is still technically morning, so it counts. And what a lovely morning it has been.

I had an itching to water color. The vivid vases stamp is simple, but gives a lot of opportunity to play. And play I did. I actually had out seven different inks if you can image it. I love color! Especially when it is subtle like in this project.

I just got my colors out and an aqua painter. Enough said. I stamped my image in stazon on water color paper and then got painting. I used soft sky as my main color because it was the color of the water in my vases. It turned out so lovely.

I had some extra paper from the sheet I cut into, so I turned it into a matching sour cream treat container. Just right for sure.

I also got to showcase the lovely lace embossing folder. Isn’t it so beautiful? I finished off both projects with coordinating seam binding ribbon. I love that stuff. I think I actually have all of the colors. That is unusual for me, I am more selective than that.

Have a super creative day!

Moana

Mixed Bunch Work of Art

April 3, 2015April 3, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I have Easter on the brain and these are the colors that keep coming to mind. So saffron and pear pizzazz. They are so lovely together. This might suggest I am ready for Easter. Ooops, I am not. I still have a bit of time though.

So, are you a card person, a bag or box person, or do you need a matching set? I keep going back and forth. But I do like a bag that is beautiful enough to be a card as well. This bag is big enough to hold a nice gift for sure. Almost too big for candies. Wait, is there a bag too big for candies?

I used the same stamp to decorate each piece to tie the set together. But, since they have the same sentiment, I wouldn’t use them together. They just coordinate nicely.

Either way, I enjoyed making them. I also hadn’t had the work of art set out for a while. That one just begs for a quiet afternoon to play with it. When does that happen anymore?

Well, I am off with my girls to enjoy our first day of spring break. Shopping and nails then lunch. Wonderful for sure!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Part 2 with Gift Cards as Promised

April 2, 2015April 2, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

These little cards are just so cute. And yes, all eight of them do fit nicely in yesterdays box project. It was hard not to share them together, but I managed.

I thought the cards were perfectly sized to write a tiny note and put in a gift card. This would be a great stash to have on hand. The cards were made simply with 1/4 of a page of card stock and then scored in half. That way I was able to make all of the card fronts from one sheet of whisper white.

I stamped the whole page and then chopped it into eight pieces. How easy is that? It was super easy,no questions.

Now, you need to go try something fun like this. Have a creative day!

Moana

Flower Shop Gift Box Part 1

April 1, 2015April 1, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

How about a big gift box for a change. I had to control myself and keep the cards separate from this post. You can see them tomorrow. Eight fit inside. Curious? Check it out tomorrow.

I used one sheet of 8.8 x 11″ cherry cobbler card stock for this box. Just some basic scoring, one tiny punch for a notch and a few snips. Then, the box is there.

I made a top with another layer of cherry cobbler, giving an 1/8″ border, with a stamped whisper white sheet also cut with another 1/8″ border. Simple stamping and some sponging. I had planned on putting flowers on top, but it was just too much.

So here we are, a nice simple box. It measures 6.5 x 4 x 1. Plenty of room for the cards I made to go inside, or something else fun and exciting for sure.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Yippee-Skippee! for Sale-a-bration!

March 31, 2015March 31, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Today is the last day of Sale-a-bration. So sad, but happy because of all of the beautiful and fun products I have been able to enjoy. I thought I would celebrate by giving myself a gift.

I started out with this gift bag in mind. I took a whole sheet of Irresistibly Yours DSP and sponged it like crazy with blushing bride. It was so beautiful just sitting there on my desk. When I cut the large pieces I needed for the bag I had a good portion left.

So, of course I had to make a set of cards to go along. The Yippee-Skipee! stamp set is chuck full of wonderful sayings, six all together. A great set to have, really. I have used it like crazy.

All I knew when I sat down is the color scheme and the designer paper. I was more than pleased when they all came together. The cards all fit so nicely inside the gift bag.

My Denali said that set spoke of lovely rich chocolate. So perhaps I will have to find just the right one to complete it. I really love this set. I love that I do this!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Hello There Painted Petals!

March 30, 2015March 30, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Bringing together my favorites once again. This whole painted blooms and painted petals brings me so much joy. Pairing it with this beautiful hello there phrase makes it work!

I think I could use the painted petals suite exclusively for some time without getting bored. Maybe that should be a challenge for me. Just how many different things can I make, while having them look different, from the same set. I like it!

Of course the paper I am showing here is either side of the same sheet. Yup, awesomeness on both sides! I just love that!

And my little punch buddy. That bow builder makes anything look wonderful. I even have a couple made up that just sit on my desk. They are adorable even all by themselves. What a treat!

Have a creative day!

Moana

studio824

Creativity for all seasons and reasons.

Friendship

Ray of Sunshine CASE

Mixed Bunches of Sassy Salutations

Geometrical Confetti Celebration Retirement Party

Petite Pairs and Punches Retirement Party

Little Buddy Birthday and Petite Pairs Retirement Party

Ray of Sunshine with Perfect Pennants

Flowering Flourishes with French?

Love is Kindness with Newsprint DSP

Mother’s Love

Cheerful Critters Party

Blooming With Kindness Trio

Throw Back Thursday with Essence of Love

Crazy About You Little Birthday Buddy

Adventure Awaits the Best Day Ever!

Hello There Vivid Vases

Mixed Bunch Work of Art

Part 2 with Gift Cards as Promised

Flower Shop Gift Box Part 1

Yippee-Skippee! for Sale-a-bration!

Hello There Painted Petals!