End of the Year Teacher gifts

"Teacher Cube with Note Cards"

Ok so I was totally inspired by a blog post the ohter day. You know how when you see something that you love you have just got to go make one for yourself???

This post over on Julie Griffith's blog really inspired me ... I added my own twists and used a different line of TAC paper ... and I LOVE the outcome!

This is a great way to use up those extra coasters that you have lying around and don't know what to do with! I use Mia's Cottage Paper from TAC to cover them. The sides are punched with my Bind-it-All and then tied with ribbon. For the bottom I used another coster (up about 1/2") and ran a bead of Diamond Glaze around the bottom to hold it in.

Front - Used the Sizzix to cut the "H" and stamped name with TAC's Simple Bet Alphabet.

This side has a transparency over it ... the teacher can use a dry erase marker (I included one) to make notes and then use a Kleenex to wipe them off. I used Just a Note from the Friendly Note set and the Apple is from For All Seasons set.

This side had a pad of post-its on it with a little note!

This side had a transparency over it as well. The teacher can slip a photo in it and it's protected. I could find my "place photo here" GWP so I stamped it with Simple Bet.

One dozen note cards with envelopes placed inside for the teachers to write those special notes home. I printed the cards on the computer and then accented with more coordinating Mia's Cottage paper and flowers from the Mini Occasions set. Did you know that in the TAC Catalog next to the papers it tells you what the best colors of inks to match the papers are?? Well this worked great for me .. I picked a blue, green, and pink Palette ink to stamp the flowers on the cards. These were so simple to whip a dozen up!!!

Back side.

All wrapped up and ready to give!!!

I took them in to the teachers this morning and they LOVED them ... I loved them too ... so simple and easy to make! Thanks again Julie for the idea!

Getting Inky with Friends!!!


What could be more fun that getting together with friends and getting inky??? Not much.

Last night my friend Kim Hutchinson and I got together at her house and oh how we got inky!!! We watched a Gina K technique DVD and then made cards with the techniques we just learned! There are 3 DVDs in this set ... we only made it through 1 ... (woo hoo that gives us plans for 2 more nights!!). Here are our creations:

Rubber Band Technique

Add rubber bands to a brayer and ink them up. Make a very interesting background. I used Palette Inks on this - Lavender Sachet, Giverney Green, Beaux Arts Blue. Stamped image is by Inky Antics and colored with colored pencils and OMS. The sentiment is from the TAC Tag Tidbits stamp set. Added green ribbon and a blue brad (thanks Kim for the embellies!).

Direct to Paper

With this technique we used cats eye ink pads and just randomly stamped them on the cardstock. I used green, purple, yellow, and copper. The stamp is another Inky Antics stamp colored with colored pencils and OMS. The saying is from Inkadinkado. Matted all images on brown cardstock and added a leather cord and 3 copper brads. Congrats to you was pop-dotted.

Direct to Paper

This was another version of direct to paper using larger ink pads. I used Palette inks again for these - Sunflower, Orangerie, and Claret. The butterflies are from the June TAC Stamp of the Month. I colored them with colored pencils and OMS and then cut them out and matted on orange. I used the just a note from the Tag Tidbits and added 5 nickel brads to an orange strip of cardstock.

Direct to Paper

Here I stamped this flower image (retired from TAC) on glossy cardsock with Versamark ink. Then we brayered the sheet with Kaleidacolor (Autumn Leaves). I colored the main flower with colored pencils and OMS and added string that I dyed with brown ink. Added 3 large copper eyelets and then put 3 orange brads in the centers of those.

Watercoloring with Ink Pads

Here we smeared the Palette ink pads on a Craft Sheet and then used a water brush to color in the image. This image is by Magenta and it was very fun to watercolor. I added green ric rac and purple primas. I added lots of bling to this card with little gems that Kim had - she picked up a huge sheet of them from Staples for 60 cents!!! - they were to decorate your cell phone with. Great find Kim ... Had she picked these up in a craft store that would have easily been 5 times that much!!! The card was matted on purple cardstock and wound up to be 5" x 5".

Pullin' and Poppin' Pastels

It's hard to see here but look closely on the black background ... see color and flowers? That is done with a fun technique called Pullin' Pastels. You color the black cardstock with chalks and then stamp an image with Versamark (pulling the chalk off of the cardstock). Then I stamped more of the image on the white with Versamark and then colored with the chalks (Poppin' Pastels). I added fun glittery blue brads and ribbon that I added chalk to as well! Sentiment is from Tag Tidbits and the flower is from a retired TAC set.

Baby Wipes

Here we made the plaid background by applying reinkers (I used Pallete reinkers) to a baby wipe and wiping across the cardstock. Then we created an ink pad with more reinkers on baby wipes and stamped the stamps in the ink. It's a quick and economical way to make an ink pad! Added green snaps and a corrugated piece of green cardstock to finish off this card. Used a retired stamp set from TAC for the flowers and Tag Tidbits.

Thanks Kim for such a wonderful night!!! Thanks for all of the embellies and all of the yummy goodies (especially that ice cream pie!) I had so much fun! We need to plan another play date soon!

Partner Kit Challenge Swap

These cards were made with kits that were sent to me in a swap for the Stamp Shack. The embellishments, paper, stamped images all were sent to me in kits and we were supposed to make cards out of them. My partner was 5 treasures.

Flowery Thanks

I was sent these flower images. I colored them with my colored pencils and blended them with odorless mineral spirits (OMS), I then added clopper stickles to the centers. I matted them on the green cardstock that I was provided. I punched the green strips with an SU punch. I stamped thanks on the lower one and added pink brads. The pink cardstock was included in my kit as well as the patterned paper. The brown ribbon was also included and I tied it and added it as well.

Friend-Ship

I was sent the ship, cloud, and sentiment images. I colored the ship with my colored pencils and blended it with OMS. I punched "friend-ship" with the SU window punch. The green cardstock was included in my kit as well as the patterned paper. The orange ribbon and hardware (brad, loop thingy, and spiral clip) were also included.

Girlfriends

I was sent these girlfriend images. I colored them with my colored pencils and blended them with OMS. I matted them on the brown cardstock that I was provided. The bown and white cardstock was included in my kit as well as the patterned paper. The clear button was also included and I placed the pattern paper behind it to match and "threaded" a thin strip of the brown paper through the button. The rhinestones were also included and I used them on the flower in "girlfriends" and added them to the lower right corner.

Thanks 5treasures .... this was fun!

Shackapalooza

A bunch of the ladies from the Stamp Shack and I retreated to Angola, IN this weekend.

Here are the shoebox projects that we worked on:

Here are the build-a-card Riley cards that we worked on:

More pics in the slide show below.


We had such a wonderful time!!!

Happy Earth Day

I made these cute little bags based on the projects that I did at Madison Mingle with a bunch of TAC friends. This one I created myself. I love TAC's Happy Bug Day Set. I wish that they would bring that one back.

These were made by cutting the bottom of a paper lunch bag at 4" and then adding 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" carstock to the sides. You can decorate how ever you want. I made the handle using the SU window punch (it's perfect).

You could use these as little gift bags or to hold a set of cards!

Tissue Paper Challenge

For my ATC group we were given several sheets of printed tissue paper and then we were to use it to create 4 ATCs (at least 25% of the ATC had to contain the tissue paper). My creative juices started flowing and I created 6. I really liked how they turned out. Now to pick which 4 I am going to swap!!

Coloring with Pencils and Odorless Mineral Spirits

Girl's Day Out

My friend Kim Hutchinson and I had a day out up in Madison, WI. We hit our favorite new store, Gina K Designs. Gina herself had told us that she wouldn't be working that day. Kim and I were so excited to see her ... (one of her employees schedules got mixed up and Gina had to work) ... bummer for Gina ... but yea for us!

Gina's store is wonderful and Kim and I were drooling over the samples and all of the different items in the store.

Just Bee-Cause

This cute stamp set was purchases at Gina K's Store ... it is called Gettin' Buggy with It. The bee is paper pieced in yellow and white. I punched the scallop circle out with my marvy punch and stamped it with another set. I had bought this Scalloped Frame and Doodle set a while back. The string/ribbon is actually velvet that Kim and I found at another art store.

Thanks Kim for another wonderful day out on the town!

Happy Anniversary Honey!



Today is my husband and my 14th wedding anniversay! We were married on 4-9-94. Here is the card I made for him today.


I am sure he is going to say that it's girly and not very masculine ... I try my best at masculine, but it seems everytime I try, it still turns out a little girly.

Used stamps from Danelle Johnson's Love set and the "You" from a TAC retired set called You Words. I punched a hole in the card and the "you" is actually inside the card.

ATC's

April TAC Specials

The Celebration continues through the month of April ..... double all of your hostess specials and GWPs! Order now to take advantage of this offer!

New Limited Edition Sets offered in April for $2.95! Pick up 1 or all 4 with a $30.00 purchase.

This month's Stamp of the Month and Vintage Set are very versatile for any project (and cute too). These sets are just $6.95 with any $30.00 purchase.

Card stamped with Cognac Brown ink. I paper pieced the dog’s head with pop-dot and added words and paw prints. I then added a grosgrain ribbon. This card was for a co-worker of mine who lost her dog this month. The set is perfect for all occasions.

Madison Mingle

Every Spring a group of Wisconsin TAC Angels organize a wonderful event called Madison Mingle. The event will draw 75 participants and every participant brings a "shoebox" project to be completed. What that means is that the end of the 3 day event you will go home with 75 completed projects!! It is a great way to make a bunch of demo samples.

Here is the project that I made for this year's event:

I call it "Thanks So Much for my ScorePal"

For this card I used DCWV cardstock blue #2. I scored the bottom with the Scor-Pal and then sanded the embossed lines with a sanding block. Since the cardstock that I used has a white core, the white shows through after sanding.

The stamp set that I used for this project is Pattern Sayings (new in the TAC Spring Supplement). I stamped "Thanks" on the white card stock, the same blue card stock, and green cardstock using Palette Noir ink. Then I cut out the Green T, a, and k. Then I cut out the Blue h, n, s. You cut them with some of the previous letter to the left on it. Then you glue the blue and green letters to the white cardstock starting with the "s" and working backwards. This creates a 3D effect as it raises the letters. After that is complete you stamp "so much" right below.

To add an interesting border to the sentiment block, I scored a 1/4" border with my Scor-Pal on the white cardstock.

Using your Crop-A-Dile you can punch 3 holes on the bottom right and set 3 eyelets. I used the eyelets from the Lilly Anna Hardware collection.

I hope you like my project. Madison Mingle is in two weeks and now I just have to prepare all of the materials for the 75 participants. I will post pictures of the others creations once I return.

Longing for Spring


With all of the cold and snow that we have had here this winter, we are longing for Spring!!! Anything spring would do right now!


Here are a few ATCs that reflect the thing I like about spring the best ... blooming flowers!

Something's Fishy

The Spring/Summer TAC Catalog has a few "retro" sets in it this year. At first they really didn't appeal to me ... but they are definitely growing on me ... especially these fish.

Here's a few cards that I made with the Something's Fishy set.

I made this card into a valentine for my husband last month. I used my new Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder. All of the fish were paper pieced with pink, white, and red card stock. "S" and "F" also paper pieced. Inside of the valentine said "since I'm hooked on you!"

This was for a swap that I did with a fellow angel Kerry. we were supposed to use one of our "new" sets ... with TAC, SU, or CTMH. I loved this card and the colors. These fish were once again paper pieced.