Nautical Themed Invitation

October 26, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

Take a look at this fun invitation and imagine another twenty-four of them. Quite the fleet of cards, and I just love them. They are themed invitations for an event a few weeks out for a church event. The cream banner at the bottom ended up having “Embark…” written on it. Great invites for a great night to come.

I am not prone to square cards, but I don’t know why. They look so fun and offer a different design pallet. Good reminder. Crumb cake, very vanilla and soft sky come together for this lovely scene. Only one stamp and a lot of die cuts. I did have help on this assembly line for sure. I did all the stamping, sponging and assembly while my husband ran the die cuts. Yes, he did all six sets of twenty-five. He is so fun to work with. How lucky can a girl get!

The dies are from a collection my husband found for me at a thrift store, so I couldn’t send you in a direction for them. Aren’t they great though? But honestly, the stamp makes it all happen, and that comes from the Traveler set. Lots of layers and an eye for design. With those in mind, there are no limits to what you can create. Just be patient and try a few options out until you are satisfied. Now, to create centerpieces that go with these. Another day…

Have a creative day!

Moana

Dude, Happy Birthday

September 2, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

While chatting with my daughter I asked her for a little inspiration for a project. She came up with these two stamp sets. She remembers the Paper Pumpkin stamps much better than I do. Good to get a reminder or two.

I have to admit, I am really into the Bombs Away Birthday set. This particular one is my favorite, but they are all pretty awesome.

I was originally going to spritz the designer paper, but I forgot to get a re-inker in tip top taupe. Ooops! So I opted to sponge it instead. The geometric pattern looks pretty darn cool. A little bit of layering, lifting everything up on dimensionals, touches of silver mini brads and a finish with silver metallic thread and this card is ready to go.

I need to remember to get those paper pumpkin stamp sets out more often. The kits are so fun to work with when they first come, but I often put the stamps away and then move on. I think I will have to work on getting them in cases to keep them more visible.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Larger Than Life Birthday Wishes

August 31, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Any wonder what today’s card is all about? Couldn’t get any more direct that this and I love it!

A certain young man is having a birthday this month and his grandmother requested a special card. I love personalized items, especially when you aren’t likely to see that name all of the time. Call it childhood memories.

My youngest daughter might disagree as to who this should be for. She might want to send it to a particular One Direction band member who also might be named Liam, but that isn’t going to happen. She can make her own.

The Larger Than Life Alphabet and Number set is so wonderful for things like this. I took the ‘happy birthday’ sentiment from That Thing You Did. Some Cucumber Crush for a fun bright green and it was nearly done. A touch of ribbon to bring it all together and I was happy. I think Liam will be too.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Bombs Away Birthday!

August 22, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Well, I must admit, I think Call of Duty visited my craft table this morning. My plan began differently, honestly. But then things got a little interesting.

I started out with the fun birthday bomb stamp and made background paper. I knew I wanted to add my husbands name, but wasn’t sure on the color. Since the black is so strong, I knew I needed to heat emboss the lettering.

Of course all of my colors are not quite masculine, and I wanted bright color. I guess I could have done silver, but too late for that. I had a couple of tiny spots that didn’t get powder to stick, so I thought I would just sponge a little ink here and there to fill them in.

I went out of the lettering a bit on the second B, so I gave in and sponged away. Then I giggled as I imagined how much cherry cobbler looked like dried blood, especially next to a bunch of bombs. Maybe this is a bit tacky or even offensive, but my husband will get a kick out of it, and it is totally for him. Happy Birthday my love!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Bombs Away Birthday

August 13, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Did you ever buy something just loving it and being so excited to use it? That would be the inspiration for this card today. When Stampin’Up! first started coming out with their own photopolymer stamp sets I was so excited.

I would buy them and have an absolute blast. But, as you get more, some get neglected. This particular set was so funny to me that it was a must. I pulled it out and remembered why I hadn’t used it yet. I loved the sentiments but was stumped on what to pair them with.

Enter the super awesome brick wall embossing folder. I used my brayer to roll some cajun craze on one side of the folder, embossed a piece of the heavy weight whisper white cardstock and knew I had found the perfect pairing. The way the ink beads up a bit on the folder actually gave the bricks a porous look. Unexpected and very welcome indeed.

Simple layering, sponging to make me happy, and a touch of gold metallic thread and this project is ready to be mailed! Would you believe I have three different guys in my life that this would be perfect for? Yes, they are all very much alike.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Sending Good Thoughts

August 11, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

Yesterday quite simply just ran away from me. Sometimes there are too many things to get done, too many people to help, and one too many places to go. So, this was for yesterday.

How about a nice masculine all occasion card? Nice combination if you ask me. When you have a great background stamp like Hardwood, the card almost finishes itself. The front was stamped in early espresso and sponged lightly until I liked the look. I tried something a little different for my inside stamping. I just used this huge stamp at an angle and stamped opposite corners. It worked out pretty good.

I had to stamp my sentiment a few times though, I wasn’t being very patient and then it didn’t look straight. It doesn’t have to be perfect to make me happy, but maybe not look all wonky either. A quick trip to the banner triple punch and my front layering was done. How easy is that?

I did layer the banner element up on dimensionals and accessorized lightly with two silver mini-brads. That is all it needed.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Lovely as a Tree

August 3, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

This project was actually ready for yesterday, there just wasn’t the time to sit down and put it together. Yesterday was all about family and it was wonderful.

I started with ribbon. Not my usual, but I am trying to get used to this new striped cotton ribbon, and the only way to do that is to use it. Hello honey was the ribbon color, so I coordinated the card front with the same color cardstock. It was too smooth so to the big shot it went for some embossing. Since it was a tree image, woodgrain worked great for me.

Before I forget, as I finished up with my sponging, I decided I couldn’t see the embossing like I wanted, so I lightly rubbed my inked sponge across the top of the embossing until it was dark enough. Loved how that turned out.

For this pretty tree. A single stamp in mossy meadow on watercolor paper, that is all. I wanted to soften it a bit, so I spritzed it was water and allowed the image to blend some. Sponging with sahara sand for everyone, a touch of tearing, plenty of dimensionals, and this was done. I don’t often make masculine cards, let alone an all occasion one. But here you have it.

Have a creative day!

Moana

High Five – That Thing You Did

July 14, 2015July 14, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday was full of excitement at an adventure park. I am not so brave, but I do try some because my husband loves them. I went on my two favorite ones, twice, so I get a big high five!

It may not sound like much, but there are times when I don’t ride anything, so this is improvement. But, I was pretty darn tired this morning and didn’t feel like creating much. I was snapchatting my daughter at university and asked her for some help. These were her color choices. It was an enthusiastic choice, just like riding a roller coaster.

I used a full sheet of tangerine tango to make this bag. My scoring measurements were 1 1/4″ and 4″ then repeat to leave a 1/2″ edge. I scored the bottom at 1 1/4″ to match the sides and did 1/2″ at the top for easy closure. Quick burnishing and folding put this large bag together.

I stamped the bag tone on tone using the matching tangerine tango ink. The sentiment was stamped first in crushed curry, then since the other colors were darker and could handle it, I stamped over one edge in garden green and the other edge in tangerine tango. It gave a really cool look I think.

A fun bag for a fun person I would think. Now, to figure out just who needs it.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Age Awareness Vintage Style

June 25, 2015June 20, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

By now, I should have made it back from Utah, survived running all over the place, crying several times, and collapsing after a long drive.

I am writing this ahead, because this morning I should be up to my eyeballs in getting the last things together for our pioneer trek experience! I put everything together I could before we went to Utah, but there are always last minute things ready to get in the way.

I haven’t used soft suede for a really long time and thought it would go with the theme here. I also just got the oval framelits and put them to work for the first time. These stamp sets go together quite nicely, don’t you think? I used the banner punch for the very vanilla strips and finished up the soft suede layered banner with the side of the hexagon punch. It makes great banner ends. Who knew!

Here I go again making my own background paper. It is a fun challenge that keeps my brain fresh and lets me use more of my fun stamps! We have a special birthday coming up next month for someone getting up there in years. He has a great sense of humor and will just love this!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Happy Father’s Day!

June 21, 2015June 20, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

What more do you need to say than that? I guess there are too many words to include in such an important day as this, but a card can only hold so many. It is a special occasion, so I did a little more than normal for this project.

A friend of mind recently stepped out of her front door to a scene similar to this card front. Of course hers was more accurate, and with a lot more trees, but you get the idea. It was a beautiful sunset and I couldn’t wait to put it in a card somehow. It worked out and was fun to arrange.

I hope you are all enjoying this special day in the way you would like. We are actually all over the place, but doing good things either way. I love all of the dads in my life!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Guy Greetings and Father’s Day Too!

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

Card workshop is today and even though I am totally exhausted, I know I will have a great time. This is one of the projects we will be making. It is getting close to Father’s Day, so of course we had to make something to celebrate that wonderful holiday.

Can you see the learning opportunity in this first photo? I was chatting it up with my own father and wasn’t paying close attention. I know my stamping is a bit wonky, but I neglected to use my stampin’ pierce mat with the one on the left. Of course my image wasn’t as clear and even a bit void in the center. Yes well, it didn’t click on that second attempt. The one before is hiding behind that one. I tried to re-stamp it, but even with the photopolymer being so very clear, the image was too detailed for me to line up perfectly. It gave it a nauseating 3-D look that had to go. We all learn, right? Use that mat for best results with photopolymer.

Some of my ladies like to have choices as they work, so this should work nicely. The stamp set it so huge that not only do they have choices, they just might be overwhelmed.

I have used just a touch of seam binding ribbon to add some color, just a little bit. A nice masculine card is definitely something to have on hand, and this fits the bill. I am so glad this stamp set carried over because it is the best for making all kinds of manly cards. Love it!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Congratulations to a Wonderful Man

May 31, 2015May 31, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ 1 Comment

Yesterday was such a wonderful day for my family, especially my husband. He was able to participate in a graduation ceremony for earning his masters degree. Working full time, teaching early morning religion classes, and completing his program in eighteen months with straight A’s. Congratulations to a Wonderful Man, truly. A card doesn’t sum up an accomplishment like that, but I needed somewhere to write the words that would. Perfect solution.

The new stamp set Happy Birthday, Everyone is obviously more versatile that just birthdays. I used one of the many phrases included in this host set to make my background paper. I just stamped it over and over again, not even trying to be straight, and it turned out pretty well. I added the congratulations from the Sassy Salutations set. I used black paper as well to emphasize the main sentiment, all about the congratulations here.

Even though it was for my husband, I though I could get away with a little of the dotted lace trim. Almost compulsory there since it is new and coordinates so well. I only used a tiny amount, no bows or anything. Welcome to yet another wonderful In-Color. Glad to have you Delightful Dijon!

Have a creative day,

Moana

Maritime Thank You

May 25, 2015May 25, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Today is a day filled with gratitude. Not only for our freedom, but for those who sacrificed so much to provide it to us. Sometimes we feel a bit removed from celebrations like Memorial Day. Today I have the opportunity to spend time with family, and to thank my own sailor, my father-in-law. Hence, the nautical themed projects for today.

I used the awesome anchor from Guy Greetings to make a background paper for my sentiment and stamp inside as well. All you need to say is ‘Thank You’. We will enjoy writing special notes in these.

I had to make a treat bag, of course. But I knew I would be making this specific, so I actually bought candy to go inside. It is already tucked inside ready to go. Everyone needs a treat once in a while.

So, don’t forget to take some time in your busy, and hopefully wonderful, holiday to share your gratitude.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Guy Greetings Thank You

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

How do you say thank you to a man with a card? Just like this. Simple, a bit of elegance, and a touch of humor, but just a touch.

Denali requested a special manly thank you card for her prom dates father. He is doing all of the driving for the two of them, neither one have a license, even as seniors, so they need a little help. Hence, the thank you. I thought that was adorable.

Also, it works for sharing with you today! This set doesn’t seem to be carrying over to next year, so we have to say goodbye. So sad, because it is a great manly set. Well, I won’t stop using it.

This is a quick project day, because it is prom day! When you have a young lady going to her first and only prom, you want to make it special. There are still some things that have to be dealt with, like sharing some joy and some basic chores. Other than that, we are all about getting pretty. Nails and hair are already done, so just enjoying the fun of makeup. The next photos I take will be filled with a lovely young lady and her good friend. Wheeeeee!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Guy Greetings Woo-Hoo!

April 8, 2015May 28, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

This was an awesome set to make! I couldn’t stop giggling at this little muscle man saying woo-hoo! Really, so funny. I was going for masculine here and think I nailed it.

The gift bag here is a tall one but still came from one sheet of card stock. It measures 1 x 1 x 7.5. Yup, pretty darn tall. I think one of those huge candy bars would be awesome inside. I like how I always want to put candy in my bags. I did put some fairly stout items inside and my linen thread handle still held strong. I couldn’t have a ribbon handle, no too girlie.

The mix of the image with the typeset paper along with the muscle man gave it a very vintage look. I sponged everything to continue the look. Even though you can’t see a lot of it, I think the alphabet embossing folder gave the texture I needed.

So how about you dig into your stamps and make something that brings a grin to you and the person you give it to. That is why we do this after all, right?

Have a creative day!

Moana

Throwback Birthday!

March 26, 2015March 26, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

How about another Throw Back Thursday? You got it! The designer paper I used was from last years Spring Occasions catalog and it was my favorite. I used it like crazy, but kept one pack whole just so I could love it some more. So pretty.

It was the watercolor wonder set. If you didn’t get any, you should be crying about it. Really, you should try to find some on ebay or something. Why am I going on about it now? Well, every catalog has paper that is specific to it and then it goes away when the catalog is done. If you find a paper you love, stock up before it’s gone!

I paired this awesome paper with two current sets. The Age Awareness photopolymer set and Work of Art. Both are absolutely fantastic sets that are loaded in fun! I even dipped into some really old sweater trim. Remember that stuff? I have loads of it. I stocked up when it hit the clearance rack. I love a good sale.

Can you see just how big this bag is? I scored a whole sheet in portrait mode and created this monster. If you want to know how the handle worked out, you will have to send me a comment. It was an accident, and I love how it worked out. Might be a new regular for my bags.

Have a super awesome creative day!

Moana

Guy Greetings

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

Can this set get any more masculine? I didn’t think so. I have to admit, I bought this stamp set entirely for these three stamps. Which is a bit excessive, but I loved them so much it didn’t matter. The rest of the set is super as well, but these are my favorites.

I know this has a Father’s Day look to it, but that isn’t who I had in mind when I made them. Actually, it was my husband. I did learn a lot from my dad, but when it comes to working with tools, that would be my husband. He has taught me so much and is endlessly patient with my questions. So fun.

I kept these pretty darn simple. I did like how when I put the sentiment on point they reminded me of caution signs. I wanted the tangerine tango more narrow to match the narrow background boarder, so I tried something out. After I cut out the tangerine tango square, I put it back on the cutting plate, and put the framelit on again but shifted it up at a diagonal. So I was cutting an L shape away. It worked out the first time. I could have done more to match the 1/8th” boarder, but went with it.

I used some dimensionals on the almost artichoke one and left the tangerine tango flat. Just some variety there. Of course I had to stamp on the inside and distress it all the way around. Tools aren’t tidy after all.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Adventure Awaits with Lullaby?

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

Sometimes traditional, sometimes floral, and sometimes, just right. That is how I feel about the projects for today. They came together so effortlessly. I guess when you are in the zone good things happen.

Can you believe these designer papers came out of the lullaby set? They could speak baby, I guess, but really have a lot more uses than that. Super fun with even a twist of masculine.

I snatched the anchor from the Guy Greetings set to add to the nautical theme. My husband told me that the color combination felt like the beach. Guess it worked.

I brought in the spots stamp from the Perpetual Birthday set and it gave just the right touch. The largest spot is the exact size as the small epoxy sticker from the sticker set. Things just lined right up! I do love decorating the inside of the card to match.

With the square and circle framelits to do my cutting, it kept the sentiments large but still a nice layering effect. I have gotten into 1/8″ boarders on my layering. Those are hard to line up without using tombo adhesive to wiggle it into place. Love that stuff. And I even got to use more of my Sale-a-bration ribbon stash! Winning all around!

Have a creative day!

Moana

Celebrate This!

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

I always call it a celebration when you get to use product that has been sitting quietly waiting its turn. It seems I have been doing that a lot lately. That would be the difference between preparing for workshop projects and blogging daily. I think the daily thing is a lot more interesting, even if a bit tiring.

I have to admit I struggled with this one a bit. I tend to lean to the softer look and this one was pretty darn edgy. But, I absolutely adore orange, so I persevered.

Late night and early morning work tend to make for a lot of shadows in my photos. But when you have a family that comes first, those tend to be the available hours of my day. I can cope well enough with the shadows, most of the time.

This gift bag had a different plan to start with. I had a math problem while using my scoreboard and I had to improvise. It is actually a pretty nice size. It used a whole sheet of cardstock with only a little bit snipped away.

On a side note, it was extremely satisfying to use hexagon shaped dimensionals on a hexagon shaped punch. For those of us who like things just so, it is definitely just so.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Tap Tap Tap

March 7, 2015March 7, 2015 ~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I have to admit, when the spring catalog comes out I get a little distracted. I sometimes forget the annual catalog and all of the stamps and products I love from it This stamp set is one great example.

Isn’t it just so cute? I made the cards a little different this time. I put a masculine and feminine emphasis on each one. It made me happy.

What really made me happy was this awesome bag! I don’t know if someone else has made one with these dimensions before, but it is all new to my brain. It was my families favorite. It can hold a huge candy bar, and even several greeting cards. How about a combo of both?

The typewriter is great, but I love the tap tap tap stamp. It really makes me giggle. So, it had to get used as much as possible. I would have done more if I could.

What products did I use for these projects? Tons! I worked in basic black with the Typeset Specialty designer series paper. I accented in hello honey and blackberry bliss stitched satin ribbon. I even played a touch with that super fun handheld stapler. Much easier to use than my desktop one, much. Of course I had to add petite petals in black with basic pearls. I grabbed a sentiment for the bag from the Sale-a-bration stamp set A Happy Thing. Really, tons of fun stuff here.

Now, how about you go out there and have a creative day!

Moana

studio824

Creativity for all seasons and reasons.

masculine

Nautical Themed Invitation

Dude, Happy Birthday

Larger Than Life Birthday Wishes

Bombs Away Birthday!

Bombs Away Birthday

Sending Good Thoughts

Lovely as a Tree

High Five – That Thing You Did

Age Awareness Vintage Style

Happy Father’s Day!

Guy Greetings and Father’s Day Too!

Congratulations to a Wonderful Man

Maritime Thank You

Guy Greetings Thank You

Guy Greetings Woo-Hoo!

Throwback Birthday!

Guy Greetings

Adventure Awaits with Lullaby?

Celebrate This!

Tap Tap Tap