Blue Jelly

Merry Christmas to me! I received a Gelli plate for Christmas and ...nearly two months later...I finally cracked it open! And gave it a go!

I ended up with several backgrounds to put in my stockpile. I don't have the Gelli mastered but it sure was fun!

 

Teal Jelly

~White cardstock base

~Layer of navy card stock

~Layer of Cryogen White background created with Gelli Plate, teal, aqua, navy acrylic paint, navy blue embossing powder, clock stamp by 7 Gypsyies, flower stamps, honey comb stencil

~Paper Studio brad with plexi cover

~White chalk dots

~Notebook punch by Stampin' Up

~Washi tape

Challenges | Inspirations

Just Us Girls - color week - aqua, teal, navy

Shopping Our Stash - fantastic plastic

Sketch Saturday - sketch

 

Thanks for clicking by.

 

Here's to playing with new tools, creating a stockpile of backgrounds for future cards, and dreading Monday...

 

Nancy in Iowa



Climate Confessions

I live in a place where this happens FREQUENTLY:

This is a normal, wintery, occurrence here in the Midwest:

We all get jazzed about the SUNNY part though! And do we REALLY need to know that it "feels like 19 degrees BELOW zero"? Isn't -2 sufficient enough to get most of us to bundle up? Who knows what -19 feels like? Does it really feel any different than 10 below?

There comes a point where COLD is COLD! I don't need some inanimate object to suggest, through psychological mind games to get me to don my Cuddle Duds, grab some mittens, and cover my ears!

I would rather not know there are 'cattle warnings'. I live in the Midwest - it is February - you do the math (on the number of layers required to survive)! FYI: The Weather Channel calls it a "wind chill advisory". The radio locals advise this agri-economy of "cattle warnings". Just another reason I love living in the Midwest: "Farm Reports" on the radio!

Just as I was experiencing Wind-Chill-Advisory (AKA Cattle Warning) fatigue I walked into Lowe's and encountered this:

Summer at Lowe's! Good time to get the best selection...

Not that I can even GET to my patio right now!

That's enough on the climate let's talk card and confession.

Detail of the back of the holder and the tag.

 The confession part is I started with a cheater card!

I purchased these at Marshall's. A package of 10 for $3.99.
I just HAD to have them.
I am a sucker for Kraft paper! I blame it on the frigid weather!

Krafty Confessions
~Base card - from Marshalls
~Repurposed with design Kraft cardstock by The Paper Studio
~Green sheer ribbon
~Washi tape
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - trend week - tags
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Crafting with Friends - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by.

Here's to Cuddle Duds, cold climate, and confessions!

Nancy in Iowa

Holiday MashUp



 I TOLD you I had an over abundance of Coin Envelopes! I decided to make Valentine cards to fit these babies! 

 

In my defense this was probably the only quantity I could find on Amazon. 

  

But THEN when I started digging around my Valentine storage box. NOT to be confused with a Valentine box for holding all the kiddie Valentines we all use to spend hours decorating! Do kids still make Valentine boxes?

And I found this stack of 3 x 5 heart printed envelopes! There are two dozen of them. But as I admitted in my previous post - my list of "home made card worthy friends" isn't long enough to even need a list!

 

So...I put the Coin Envelope mission on HOLD! I will use these little cuties instead! Luckily I can still use the juicy stack of strips that are left-over from making square cards. So many missions! So little time!

 

In the spirit of a holiday mash-up I FINALLY broke out one of my Christmas gifts to use on one of the Valentine cards. I put to use the Tim Holtz Alphabetical die. I think I will be using this quite a bit! Fun font and oh how I enjoy my Cuttlebug!

 

 

Buckle Up

~Base card Bazzill pink cardstock

~Target tag with twine

~Valentine ribbon

~Chipboard buckle

~Red glitter chipboard heart

Inspiration | Challenges

Sketch Saturday - layout

One Stitch at a Time - love is in the air

The Ribbon Girl - anything plus ribbon

 

 

 

 Hearts-A-Plenty

~PaperTry Ink white cardstock

~Layer of The Paper Studio Basics design paper

~Red stripe tag with twine

~Chipboard buckle with heart print ribbon

~Glitter chipboard heart

 Inspiration | Challenges

Mojo Monday - sketch

Crafting When We Can - add hearts

 





 

Exes and Ohhhs

~Base card PaperTrey Ink Pure Poppy

~Letters die cut using Sizzix Tim Holtz Alphabetical

~Tic-Tac-Toe made using white cardstock, creased, smudged, and stamped with Paper Studio Alphabet, layered on cardstock matts

~Washi tape

Inspiration | Challenges

Corrosive Challenge - love

Crafting with Dragonflies - anything goes

Digi Designs - use lots of red

 

Thanks for clicking by!

 

Here's to staying focused, digging through storage boxes, and finally playing with Christmas presents!



Nancy in Iowa

Sisterly Eye Rolling

Two more Valentine cards! Four and counting. Luckily (?) - I only have friends that number in the single digits. Maybe I should be a little nicer!

Well, truth be told...there are Facebook "friends", there are friends, and then there are card-worthy friends... Not all friends are created equally - you know what I mean?

Actually, I don't usually send the cards I make. I make them and give them away for other people to send. For some unknown reason I just was in the mood for Valentine cards! This is very uncharacteristic of me as I am so NOT sentimental or mushy! Just ask my siblings! They would probably say - "You have FRIENDS?!" Of course they would say this while holding a glass of wine, lots of laughter, and don't forget some eye-rolling!

I found a set of 8 pre-made tags (twine included) at Target in my favorite aisle and picked these up for the bargain price of one dollar! They are just the right size for my goofy 'coin envelope cards'. Let me see...of the box of 500 (3 x 5 inch envelopes) I used approximately one dozen! WHOOOP!!! Anybody need any coin envelopes? Jeepers! What was I thinking!?

Tag You're Mine
~Base card PaperTrey Ink Sweet Blush
~Washi tape
~Tag with twine from Target
~Two glitter chipboard hearts
Inspirations | Challenges
Card Mania - add some red
Crafts and Me - use reds or Valentines

Valentine Referee
~Base card PaperTrey Ink
~Red/white stripe tag with twine from Target
~Glitter chipboard heart
~Katie & Co sentiment
~Die cut edge
Inspirations | Challenges
Gem of a Challenge - love is in the air
My Time to Craft - Love is all around

Thanks for clicking by!

Here's to time in my Bubble, scoring big at Target in the dollar aisle, and sibling ribbing!

Nancy in Iowa

Confetti Hearts

Only my second Valentine card for the day. Good thing I don't have very many friends! Had to run to Target (also known by my friends and I as the 100 dollar store - as it is difficult to get out of there without spending ....you guessed it...at least $100). I NEVER go to Target without perusing the "dollar" aisle! Speaking of the Dollar Aisle.... I found these vellum envelopes prefilled with confetti. I knew they would fit on my goofy "coin cards"!

Bought a set. Brought them home. Added more hearts - inside and out, switched out the twine with ribbon, and ink smudged the edge.

Hearts A-Plenty
~Base card - pink cardstock embossed with Cuttlebug Simple Flowers embossing folder, bottom edge torn
~Vellum envelope with hearts and dots confetti
~Three red glitter hearts
~Metal brad
Challenges | Inspirations
Gem of a Challenge - love is in the air
My Sheri Crafts - Valentine with pink/red.white
Creative Knockouts - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by!

Here's to trips to Target, finding awesome items for a 'buck', and being on a card making mission!

Nancy in Iowa

String of Coins

 I'm going to attempt to get some Valentine Day cards made...in time for Valentine Day...2016!!! I better get busy! Thought I would stick with my "coin card" format. Don't forget....I have hundreds of "coin envelopes"! I wanted a few and couldn't resist the BARGAIN price of ordering them in BULK!

Hence, I feel the need to make cards that will fit the envelopes. Luckily the strip that is left over from making a square card from 8.5 x 11 cardstock is perfect for my bounty of coin cards. Win. Win.

String of Hearts
~Base card PaperTrey Ink Raspberry Fizz
~Layer of white confetti cardstock
~Rescued red cord
~Three glitter hearts
~Strip of white glitter card stock die cut
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - work week - valentine
Fusion Card - sketch
Crafty Creations - hearts
Crafting by Designs - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by!

Here's to buying in bulk, rescuing bits and pieces, and having deadlines!

Nancy in Iowa

Big Sticky Inches

I previously blogged about snow. Snow in South Dakota. Snow on the East Coast. Well...it is our turn here in Iowa. Only 11.5 inches! But to add to the mix was the dreaded whipping winds! Zero visibility. Driving north on a prominent main thoroughfare (Jackson Street) I seriously could not see the cars parked in front of their homes. Yes. This is January in the Midwest!

I have to admit. I LOVE snow!

And don't put those shovels away just yet...more snow predicted for Friday. Yea!!!

BIG flakes!

Where is my sidewalk!?

 

Sticky flakes!

My poor University of Iowa Hawkeye scarf!

Inches of flakes!

Found my sidewalk!

 My sister Judy (who lives in balmy Georgia) sent these timely Jeff Foxworthy quotes. They are quite fitting!

• "If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Iowa.
• If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Iowa.
• If you know all four seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you may live in Iowa.
• If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Iowa.
• If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you may live in Iowa."

And for early in the season or as Jeff refers to it "almost winter"...

• "If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Iowa."

Enough about snow. It is an Iowa fact of life. All this snow....and no snow day for me....sure would have liked an entire day in my Bubble. Card making, hot tea, snacks...why oh why didn't I get to stay home!?

Snow Bird
~Base card PaperTrey Ink
~Layer of Prima Printery Collection
~Strip of Prima Printery Collection
~Strips of aqua die cuts
~Six pearls
~Die cut pennant
~Die cut bird using same collection, feet and beak paper pieced
~Washi bird cage tape
~Twine
~Clock stamp using Tahiti chalk ink
Challenges | Inspirations
Retro sketches - sketch #200
Shopping Our Stash - dreaming of something warm (I miss my spring and summer time birds)
Just Us Girls - wild card week

Thanks for clicking by.

Here's to snow blowers, snow plows, and warm mittens!

Nancy in Iowa