Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Freshly Made Sketches: Hello
It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Karren.
Karren says we can use any number of elements along the bottom of the small panel so I went for a swag made of my favorite floral set - Petals 'n Posies by Reverse Confetti. I also pulled out some softer colors which aren't my typical go-to-colors, but it's been such a cold and dreary spring - I needed some springlike colors on my desk!
This is such a great sketch that can be used in so many ways - I look forward to seeing what everybody does with it!
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Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Taylored Expressions: Teacher Blessings
I have been volunteering as an accountant in our church preschool for the last six months. The last few weeks are in my brain and may never go away as the kids have been practicing for graduation and I hear the same songs over and over for all eight classrooms!! But I've also had a chance to watch preschool teachers up close and personal - and my respect level has shot through the ceiling. I am in awe of what they deal with day after day and they do it calmly and with a big smile.
The cake and ice cream after graduation takes place in our fellowship hall which also houses our card racks - so I realized a few weeks back that I needed to stock the racks with teacher thank you cards! I actually made this card a few weeks back and it is long gone.
I am in love with the die selection at Taylored Expressions. (I love the stamps too - who wouldn't love a big polka dot "thanks") But in terms of dies, there is something for every single occasion. For this card, I had the numbers - so I ordered the little schoolhouse.
Then it seemed a little bland so I browsed my dies and found the sun. I'm not sure whether it is setting on the preschool or whether it is rising for a new phase in the education of these little ones - but either way - it's a nice pop of color!
Those cute little preschoolers do eventually grow up as evidenced by the last week in my house.
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The cake and ice cream after graduation takes place in our fellowship hall which also houses our card racks - so I realized a few weeks back that I needed to stock the racks with teacher thank you cards! I actually made this card a few weeks back and it is long gone.
I am in love with the die selection at Taylored Expressions. (I love the stamps too - who wouldn't love a big polka dot "thanks") But in terms of dies, there is something for every single occasion. For this card, I had the numbers - so I ordered the little schoolhouse.
This is my son, Andrew, graduating from Lutheran High School. He will be heading to Valparaiso University in the fall. At 6'4" and well over 200 pounds, it's hard to remember my preschooler.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Something Incredible on Graduation Day
It's the big day for my oldest son - it's high school graduation day! (But I think you've read enough about it given I've been posting about it for a few weeks!)
I posted my actual graduation card for him here. But on Wednesday, the Christian high school that he attended had a Blessings ceremony. It was a fabulous ceremony of prayers, scholastic awards and Christian character awards.
Last weekend I found the stamp set that I had to have to make him a card for this event. I ordered it over the weekend with my fingers crossed that priority mail would get it here in two days, then was crushed to see USPS tracking say it would be here on Thursday, a day late. I was out and about on Wednesday afternoon finalizing some shopping and plans, got home about 1/2 an hour before we needed to head out to dinner, and guess what was in the mail??!! Thank you to Jen del Muro of Reverse Confetti for being totally on top of shipping, and to the post office for being ahead of schedule!
I so love that saying. It's from Reverse Confetti's Shine from Within. It is especially relevant to my son who is definitely heading into the world of science and who has been inspired by his astrophysics course this year, so Carl Sagan was the perfect choice. I can't tell you how many deep space videos and photos Andrew has shown us and explained in depth. I love that the sentiment is meaningful, but its font keeps it just perfect for my teenage son's card. The inside uses a sentiment from the same set - Always Dream Big.
Realize that I had half an hour from the time the stamp set arrived and when I needed to leave (not to mention I had to dress up and apply make-up), but I knew that the sentiment could have stood on its own with very little embellishment. I happened to have the brick paper out from this card, and I had the cardstock out from his graduation card. The star garland die came in the same order as the stamp set, so a few banners in his school colors (and a little glitter paper for interest) - and I'm as happy with this card as one I spent hours slaving over.
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I posted my actual graduation card for him here. But on Wednesday, the Christian high school that he attended had a Blessings ceremony. It was a fabulous ceremony of prayers, scholastic awards and Christian character awards.
Last weekend I found the stamp set that I had to have to make him a card for this event. I ordered it over the weekend with my fingers crossed that priority mail would get it here in two days, then was crushed to see USPS tracking say it would be here on Thursday, a day late. I was out and about on Wednesday afternoon finalizing some shopping and plans, got home about 1/2 an hour before we needed to head out to dinner, and guess what was in the mail??!! Thank you to Jen del Muro of Reverse Confetti for being totally on top of shipping, and to the post office for being ahead of schedule!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Curtain Call Reminder: Tassels with Newton's NOok
Just a reminder that there is still time to play along with the challenge at the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Totally Tassel.
Our sponsor for this challenge is Newton's Nook. If you haven't followed Newton's Nook - Newton is a cat! When this challenge first came out (here's my post), I shared a picture of my two cats. Newton's Nook has a variety of stamps, but I always seem to come back to their cat sets. In particular, I enjoy Naughty Newton. Where else can you find stamps of a cat unrolling a roll of toilet paper, or a cat in a litter box!?? (I haven't had toilet paper on the roll for a decade. It just sits on the counter. When I do put it back, say for an evening with friends, if I forget to take it off again - it will be completely unrolled. I think my cats stalk all the bathrooms, every single day, for a decade, just in case the toilet paper happens to be on the roll!)
I didn't use the toilet paper or litter box stamps because I couldn't make them work with the colors and elegance of the tassels graphic. But I could also relate to this stamp...
There is always stuff on my floor. Sometimes it is very deliberate - I will watch a cat sit on the counter, and casually and methodically push various items off. Other times it's just bull-headedness as a cat feels is is entitled to be somewhere where there simply isn't room, and as it pushes its way through, stuff gets displaced. I've actually experienced broken flower pots, although wine glasses on the coffee table are a bigger deal in my house.
I used those little banners to give a nod to the tassel theme of the challenge.
I hope you are playing along - there's a gift certificate to Newton's Nook up for grabs to a randomly selected participant!
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Our sponsor for this challenge is Newton's Nook. If you haven't followed Newton's Nook - Newton is a cat! When this challenge first came out (here's my post), I shared a picture of my two cats. Newton's Nook has a variety of stamps, but I always seem to come back to their cat sets. In particular, I enjoy Naughty Newton. Where else can you find stamps of a cat unrolling a roll of toilet paper, or a cat in a litter box!?? (I haven't had toilet paper on the roll for a decade. It just sits on the counter. When I do put it back, say for an evening with friends, if I forget to take it off again - it will be completely unrolled. I think my cats stalk all the bathrooms, every single day, for a decade, just in case the toilet paper happens to be on the roll!)
I didn't use the toilet paper or litter box stamps because I couldn't make them work with the colors and elegance of the tassels graphic. But I could also relate to this stamp...
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Freshly Made Sketches: So Proud of You
It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Cindy Lovell:
I used these dies somewhat differently than they were set up. (I got the idea from Amy Sheffer.) The top word die is actually a full die going down to the cap part. Amy had trimmed the bottom off and then popped the top part of the hat. LOVE the look!
Now I just need to make a somewhat sarcastic card for his younger brother to give to Andrew, and I really want to make something for Blessings tonight. Fingers crossed that the stamp set that I ordered for that purpose shows up in the mail today!
I hope to see you playing along. It is so much fun to browse the gallery at Freshly Made Sketches each week and see the wide variety of cards!
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I have graduation on the brain this week because I have a high school senior. Relatives started coming in yesterday. Tonight is the Blessings Ceremony (Andrew goes to a Christian high school so we actually get to have Christ-focused events!). Friday is Baccalaureate/Graduation. Andrew is an extremely low-key kind of guy - so no party - but on Saturday the whole extended family is heading out to dinner. Then I think I'll let him play unlimited video games for a week or so (other than his hours as fry-cook at Dairy Queen) - before we start planning and packing for Valparaiso University!!
I love making graduation cards because I can use school colors.
