Kindness

Clueless Thank You?

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Just what is today’s odd card about?  It is truly a ‘clueless thank you’.  Not too long ago our church youth group had a large activity that was a living version of the game Clue.

Confetti Celebration

We had  a character that had been ‘kidnapped’ and had several ‘suspects’.  They were each in their own classroom throughout the church building. The kids were partnered up to visit the suspects gathering clues along the way.  The volunteer suspects were amazing and many of them went all out.  I love people!

Confetti Celebration

So, a proper thank you was in order.  I couldn’t just use a stamp to say what we needed.  I got on the computer and made something special.  I thought it was pretty darn clever.  I made a dozen of these and each one is filled with hand written notes from youth and leaders.  Doing good things feels good.

Confetti Celebration

I used the retiring paper set confetti celebration.  It goes wonderfully with basic gray.  I had to have a card that was attractive without being feminine.  Mission accomplished.  A little bit of bermuda bay ribbon brought just enough color in.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Geometrical Confetti Celebration Retirement Party

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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.

Geometrical

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.

Geometrical

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.

Geometrical

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.

Geometrical

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

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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.

Petite Pairs and Punches

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.

Petite Pairs and Punches

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.

Petite Pairs and Punches

Have a creative day!

Moana

Little Buddy Birthday and Petite Pairs Retirement Party

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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.

Little Buddy Birthday and Petite Pair

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.

Little Buddy Birthday and Petite Pairs

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.

Little Buddy Birthday and Petite Pair

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

Chalk Talk Retirement Party

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How about this for an overdone party.  I really should set some limits with myself, because seriously, six cards and two bags for one blog post is just a bit much.  But hey, it is a party right?

Chalk Talk

The designer paper I used was so fun.  I guess that is why I ended up with two sets, because each side of the paper was too cute.  I am used to having paper around for a catalog year, but I do tend to get attached to the colors.  I really did enjoy the 2013-2015 In Colors.

Chalk Talk

The stamp set Chalk Talk is retiring, but the framelit isn’t.  So, maybe a new set will be available?  We will have to wait and see.

Chalk Talk

For a little throw back I used the stretch ribbon from last years catalog.  It was really fun to play with.  This is a reminder to me to get the items I want that are retiring before they run out.

Chalk Talk

Well, I am running behind for sure with all my crafting.  Off to another adventure!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Ray of Sunshine with Perfect Pennants

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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.

Ray of Sunshine with Perfect Pennants

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.

Ray of Sunshine with Perfect Pennants

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.

Ray of Sunshine with Perfect Pennants

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

So Much Joy

~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

There is so much joy in every day life, why not in our cards and paper projects too?

So Much Joy

When I saw this weeks specials on the Stampin’Up! site I knew I had to break out some tools and make something special with them together.  Both framelits shown here plus the large pansy punch are all on sale.  Plus a few other goodies that I don’t have, yet.  I love a good sale!

So Much Joy

I grabbed a piece of paper from the birthday bash set to set the color stage and gave it some friends with crushed curry and tangelo twist.  Good friends.  I knew I wanted to make a gate fold card and decided to anchor the fold with a flower.  Since it was going to be layered, I knew it needed some strength.

So Much Joy

Enter the awesome huge designer vintage faceted buttons.  They are so fabulous!  Just when you think you couldn’t possibly use a button that large, bam!  The perfect choice!

So Much Joy

Lots of sponging, some glue dots, and a few dimensionals and here is another great set!  I love it when everything comes together to create beauty like this.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Love is Kindness with Newsprint DSP

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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!

Love is Kindness with Newsprint DSP

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.

Love is Kindness with Newsprint DSP

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.

Love is Kindness with Newsprint DSP

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.

Love is Kindness with Newsprint DSP

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

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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.

Mother's Love

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.

Mother's Love

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?

Mother's Love

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

Blooming With Kindness Trio

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

Blooming With Kindness

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.

Blooming With Kindness

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?

Blooming With Kindness

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.

Blooming With Kindness

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

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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.

Essence of Love

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.

Essence of Love

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.

Essence of Love

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

Moana

Hello There Vivid Vases

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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.

Hello There Vivid Vases

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.

Hello There Vivid Vases

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.

Hello There Vivid Vases

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.

Hello There Vivid Vases

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

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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.

Mixed Bunch Work of Art

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?

Mixed Bunch Work of Art

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.

Mixed Bunch Work of Art

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?

Mixed Bunch Work of Art

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

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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.

Part 2 with Gift Cards

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.

Part 2 with Gift Cards

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

Part 2 with Gift Cards

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

Moana

Flower Shop Gift Box Part 1

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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.

Flower Shop and Sassy Salutations Gift Box

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.

Flower Shop and Sassy Salutations Gift Box

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.

Flower Shop and Sassy Salutations Gift Box

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!

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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.

Yippee-Skippee! for Sale-a-bration

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.

Yippee-Skippee! for Sale-a-bration

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.

Yippee-Skippee! for Sale-a-bration

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.

Yippee-Skippee! for Sale-a-bration

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!

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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!

Hello There Painted Petals!

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!

Hello There Painted Petals!

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

Hello There Painted Petals!

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

Gold Soiree with Banner Blessings Part 2

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And these are the other sides of that pretty paper from yesterdays post.  Can you see why I had such a hard time choosing?  Both sides are just so wonderful.

Gold Soiree and Banner Blessing

I hadn’t had the Banner Blessings set out for a while.  I still love it as much as I did the first time.  So fun and filled with beautiful wording.

Gold Soiree and Banner Blessing

I did have this ready this morning, really I did.  But the day has been more than full.  And most of it has been wonderful.  The other part?  Let’s just say that taxes aren’t nearly as fulfilling as creating cards and the like.  Oh well, sometimes we have to be human and get things done.

Gold Soiree and Banner Blessing

I can’t wait to send these out to special friends.  They really were fun to make.

Have a creative night, what’s left of it.

Moana

Because You Care and Gold Soiree

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Today is all about the paper.  And I couldn’t decide on which combinations to use.  The Gold Soiree specialty designer series paper is more than wonderful.  The other sides of these two papers are equally awesome.  You will get to see those tomorrow, so come back to check.

Because You Care and Gold Soiree

Can you see the obvious glare on the paper?  I know my photos are less than ideal at times, but the glare is on purpose.  I wanted you to see the glossy reflection.  This paper is so smooth and glossy and just fancier than the rest.  Hence the specialty title.

Because You Care and Gold Soiree

The colors in this set are some of my favorite.  Especially calypso coral.  Can I just say that in my last house I painted my laundry room just a few shades lighter than this.  It was called marmalade.  I got teased, but it was so super happy in there.

Because You Care and Gold Soiree

As you have noticed, I have been creating extra birthday cards.  My mother-in-law is so good about sending out cards.  So I keep her supplied.  Last night she picked up six.  She only needed three this month, but couldn’t decide and took six.  So cute.  Now I have to get back to work!

Hope you have a super creative day!  Don’t forget to come back tomorrow to see how the other side looks.

Moana

Lovely Amazing You and Wisteria Wonder

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Well, I finally did it.  I jumped on the ‘feather’ bandwagon.  I really didn’t see the big interest, just thought it wasn’t my thing.

Lovely Amazing You and Wisteria Wonder

That is until a friend talked about them at our last workshop and how she thought they were different and looked nice.  You know what?  She was totally right.  Something else to be grateful for that was carried over into the spring catalog from last fall, the feather set.  More to buy, oooops!

Lovely Amazing You and Wisteria Wonder

I did enjoy taking the paper and softening it up with ink.  With the card above I just gave it a gentle sponging all over with the coordinating wisteria wonder ink.  Below I gave it the ombre look.  The photo gives you an idea, but it looks better in person, of course.

Lovely Amazing You and Wisteria Wonder

And of course I loved that I got to use a favorite ribbon that hadn’t been out in a while.  I do so love the chevron ribbon.  Good stuff there.

As we head into the weekend I think you should take a little time for yourself, and have a creative day!

Moana