just you & me tree with Avocado Arts

Happy project sharing day with Avocado Arts! Today I am using the June kit, Let’s Catch Up on my card. I stamped the tree onto kraft cardstock, coloring the base with a Copic marker. Then I stamped the tree image again onto patterned paper. I cut out the pieces with a detail scissors and foam mounted those to the kraft piece. Easy and cute. This would actually be a fun piece to use on a layout.

Be sure and stop by the rest of the team to be inspired!
Avocado Arts Blog
AJ Otto
Latisha Yoast
Julia Stainton
Becky Oehlers

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

P.S. I am still having health issues, that are effecting my hands and my ability to use them. One appointment with a specialist down, another one in a couple of weeks. When I can update you, I will. Continued prayers would be so greatly appreciated!

my favorite things

Find out what my latest favorite things are these days…I used them on this project. Its all on the CardMaker Magazine blog.

CardSwaps Blog Hop: Time to Shine

Welcome to the CardMaker Magazine CardSwaps blog hop! The blog team gets to join in the fun today! We are all making cards about your Time to Shine. And what a better day to shine than a birthday?
With washi tape being the craze these days, I thought, why not make my own custom tape by using masking tape?!? :)

1. Place strips of masking tape down onto silicon mat.
2. Cover each piece of tape with Distress ink using the foam applicator.
3. Stamp the lemon border from Mint Motif’s Beyond Borders in the same color ink over the top.
4. Once dry, applied the tape pieces to the piece of patterned paper.
5. To make the candle tops, stamp another row of the lemon border onto a piece of white cardstock using Spiced Marmalade ink.
6. Then rub Scattered Straw ink  over the top.
7. Apply Stickles to the centers and once dry, cut out and foam mount to the top of each candle.

We are supposed to share a day that we personally had our time to shine. Well, seeing as I made a birthday card, I will share one of my favorite birthdays. It was my 30th. I had just given birth to my son, and my husband and family were around me that day. It was a simple and beautiful way to celebrate a new decade in my life. Everything that I am and was grateful for was around me that day.

Ok, now for some FUN! “Unscramble It game for hoppers... You will be unscrambling a word once you will collect a letter at each blog you visit. The hostesses can play along, because they don't know any of the letters but their own... Once you collect ALL the letters, the last hostess in the blog hop will direct you to the thread in the forum where you can find all the details you need to enter the drawing. All hoppers collecting all the letters, unscrambling the word or phrase, entering the game by following the directions in the forum, and leaving feedback on EVERY blog they visit WILL be entered in to a random drawing held on May 23, 2012. ONE lucky hopper will have their name drawn and will win a prize!! Fun, right?? So, make sure you visit every blog and find the letters. Your hints are... it’s a phrase, it has four words, and it’s a way you will be able to shine.”

You should have arrived here from ANGELINA’s blog. If not, hop on back and collect the letter. If you haven’t started the hop at all, start at the beginning and have a great time! Here is a list of all the blogs, just in case.

• Brooke Smith -CardMaker blog
  Jeanette
  Ashley
  Anya Schrier
  Golda
  Ivanka
  Ana
  Michelle Woerner
  Judy L
  Lisa
  Trudy Sjolander
  Jane
  Angelina
  Kimberly Crawford *you are here*
  Laura
  Tammy
  Carolyn King
  Marlene
  Susan
  Colleen Schaan
  Meredith
  Lora

AND the letter you are looking for is B.

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

CardMaker Blog Hop: What A Difference You Have Made

Welcome to another CardMaker Magazine blog team hop! Today we are sharing cards (or in my case, projects( thanking people for the difference they have made in our lives. This time of year, and this week especially, is about thanking teachers, nurses, and of course, our moms!

In the craziness of getting all these thank you gifts together, I found myself trying to figure out ways to wrap these small tokens up in ways that would make an impact as well. And using some scraps and die cut pieces already in my stash, I was able to make this beautiful gift box in about 5 minutes!

This is a small jewelry box from a local department store. I hoard these like crazy because they hold gift cards beautifully and aside from the name on the box, they are totally white.
Instructions:

1. Adhere a piece of patterned paper to the lid of the box only. Use a Scor Pal to get a crisp fold where needed.
2. Repeat with a coordinating strip of patterned paper, placing it on top of the first.
3. Adhere a die cut oval.
4. Adhere die cut leaves to the right side of the oval. Bend the leaves to add a bit of dimension.
5. Die cut and create a rolled flower. Adhere to the oval, over the leaves.
6. Add a decorative brad to the center of the flower. In this case, I had made this custom brad with an I top tool.
7. I did not add a tag to this, but I would add a stamped tag with a to/from and attach it.

Check out the other cards and inspiration from the rest of the team:

• CardMaker Magazine blog
• Kimberly Crawford *you are here*
• Carolyn King
• Colleen Schaan
• Anya Schrier
• Trudy Sjolander
• Michelle Woerner

thanks for stopping by!
~kimberly

P.S. Sorry its been a long time since I have posted. I have been struggling with some serious health issues. Soon I will explain what is going on with me. I am awaiting an appointment with a specialist at the end of the month. I am hoping to have answers and a plan then. A few prayers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Party Ensembles

This book from Paper Crafts Magazine and Leisure Arts is a true stunner!! Party Ensembles is available at book stores now, or click the link and purchase it online. The ideas inside for parties are endless, brilliant, and completely re-creatable! The book also includes a CD in the back that has all the patterns and supply lists you need to make one of these celebrations at your house.

And here is my party ensemble from the issue. I thought it would be great fun to create a His/Hers Wedding shower theme with my stamps from Mint Motif, What a Card. The ensemble includes placemats, food picks, beverage cozies, wine glass markers, centerpieces, custom card decks and be sure and check out the book to see the pretty-cool-if-I-say-so-myself chandelier made from playing cards! :)

Here is the stamp set, What a Card. And yee haw! it is now back in stock, along with a bunch of other Mint Motif sets at i {heart} papers. :)

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

CardMaker blog hop: Rock Stars

Today the team is creating cards inspired by rock songs! How fun is that?! I am one of those people who has a song for everything. I mean, everything. And I also know the lyrics to pretty much every song ever. My husband really wishes that we could somehow harness that power for good, or at least to make good money. :)
My project today is inspired by the Beatles song, “Here Comes the Sun.” To be more specific though, I am choosing the version from Beatles LOVE (the cover art was inspiring too). We saw the show in Las Vegas a few years ago and it was unbelievable. We listen to the soundtrack quite often, even the little man enjoys it. Here is the video so you can hear this funky and fun arrangement from the show.

The Beatles LOVE

And here is my project:

I made a large tag which works great on this smaller gift bag. Ever since I took an online Tim Holtz  class, I cannot stop making tags and trying all his amazing techniques.


A closer look at the tag. The scalloped oval from Hero Arts was stamped and cut out by hand. The sentiment is from Technique Tuesday.


To make the tag, the flower image was stamped onto the tag with watermark ink. Then it was heat embossed with clear powder. Distress Inks were applied to the tag in several layers. (Fired Brick, Wild Honey, Broken China, Peeled Paint, Dusty Concord). The open flower image was stamped with Archival Jet Black ink and set aside to dry. Once dry, water was flicked onto the tag and made the Distress Inks look splotchy, in a good way.

Check out what the rest of the team has come up with for today.

• Kimberly Crawford *you are here*
• Carolyn King
• Colleen Schaan
• Anya Schrier
• Trudy Sjolander
• Michelle Woerner

Here’s to hoping you don’t get a bunch of songs stuck in your head! :) thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

Paper Crafts Magazine May/June issue

Well it’s a week of sharing some of my latest publications. I am terrible about remembering to share here, so be prepared, more are coming. :)


Paper Crafts May/June 2012 issue is now on newsstands. Its got the usual moms, dads, and grads inspiration, but includes a super fun section that I am pretty excited about being a part of!

The challenge was for two designers to use the same patterned papers but create a masculine and feminine card. Julie Campbell took the girly side and I grabbed the manly side. We used papers from Crate Paper. I also added some Real Wood paper from Creative Imaginations. By keeping things simple and earthy, the card would be easy to give that special guy.

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

CardMaker blog post today

Pop on over to the CardMaker blog and see the design tip I have for you today. Its old, but it’s a great one. I made this card a lot better, that is for sure! :)
thanks for stopping by!
~kimberly

thank you friend with AvocadoArts

It’s a post day! Yay! We are all using April’s Kit, Sew Nice along with May’s kit, Thoughts and Smiles.

The flowers were stamped onto glossy cardstock with Archival Ink, along with the sentiment. (Both the blue and green flowers.) The ink was heat set. Then I applied Walnut Stain and Vintage Photo Distress Inks over the top with a foam applicator. Its an amazing new effect I learned while taking an online class from Tim Holtz. The colored images appear to be “inside” the paper. Its fantastic!

Be sure and stop by the rest of the team to be inspired!
Avocado Arts Blog
AJ Otto
Latisha Yoast
Julia Stainton
Becky Oehlers

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

photos on Friday

Taken with my iPhone. Instagram. Early Bird filter.

Whoa! Its been forever since I did a photos on Friday post! It is time to get back into that habit. Especially since there are so many beautiful things to take photos of now that spring is arriving! These are cherry blossoms in our backyard. We have had frost the last two nights, so I was happy to see these blossoms still hanging in there.

Enjoy your weekend!

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

CardMaker May issue

The May issue of CardMaker Magazine is now on shelves! It’s a beautiful issue full of great ideas-so many techniques!

I am thrilled to have this card in the issue!! Be sure and check out the fantastic cards in this issue that all use the hot trend of chevrons! LOTS of great ideas for ways to make this pattern. On this card I used Spellbinders Classic Ric Rac Edgeabilities to die cut patterned paper. For all the instructions and supplies, be sure and pick up the issue the next time you are out and about.

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly

Trims

I am so excited because today is my first blog post at Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L!  Stop on over and check out the fantastic Crafty Power Tape I used on my project.

Hope that you had a super weekend! We spent Easter with my parents, sister, and grandma in MN. We painted the nursery for my nephew (arriving soon) and pretty much ate our way through the rest of the weekend. :) It was nice to get home, but it was chilly! Guess I am getting spoiled by warmer spring weather in the “south.”

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly