Baby Thanks - à la Becky Higgins

Here is my version of Becky Higgins' Baby Cards, as seen in the Creating Keepsakes Gallery. Becky designed her precious card collection using her "Sweet Baby Kit of the Month." I loved the simple design and layout of Becky's cards, but decided to use supplies that I already had on hand. I believe that Becky also sewed her cards, while I used faux stitching on mine. Thanks for the inspiration Becky!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: white from The Paper Company & Halcraft
• Patterned Paper: Sky Bias Stripe & Olive Parlor Stripe from Scrapbook Walls collection by Chatter Box
• Accents: Butterbean Baby Boy dimensional sticker from Marcella line by K&Company
• Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White pen by Y&C
• Fonts: Blackjack from Font Bros
• Tools: rounded corner punch from EK Success; Paper Edgers Deckle edge scissors by Fiskars; Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz

Finished Size 4" x 5.5"

Put On Your Party Hat!

Here is the card that I designed for my niece who just turned five. My inspiration for this card came from the wrapping paper that I chose to use for one of her gifts. It including images of a cake, a present, and a party hat. I decided to create a card in the shape of the party hat.

I began by trimming my prefolded card in the shape of a hat, with the crease of the card on the left side of the hat. I then cut patterned paper to fit on the front of the card, trimming some of the paper with decorative edge scissors. I inked the edges of my patterned paper with a Sharpie, imitating the illustrative quality of my chosen graphic. I adhered the paper to the front of my card and accented it with a a chipboard number and a plastic flower which I attached using a flower brad.

Supplies:

• Cardstock: pink
• Patterned Paper: Tropical Colors Bitty Scrap Pads by Provo Craft
• Accents: plastic flowers by Greenhouse; watercolor brite flower brads by Making Memories; Nana's Nursery Diecut Chipboard Number by DCWV; Craft Essentials Birthday rub-ons from Jo-Ann Stores
• Color Medium: Sharpie black permanent marker by Sanford
• Adhesive: Mini adhesive dots by Glue Dots; Tape Runner XL by Therm O Web
• Tools: Paper Edgers decorative edge scissors - Scallop & Sunflower from Fiskars

Finished Size Approx. 4.5" x 5.75"

You're Invited...

Hello Dear Readers! Sorry I've been so MIA lately -- I've been busy preparing for little Baby Sgro's arrival. That includes designing decor for Baby's room (more on that in a later post) and my Baby Shower! Special thanks to Sue & Julie for a Great Event!

Speaking of Baby Showers... here is the invitation that my sister Suzanne and my best friend Julie created for the special occasion. They went with a Jungle Theme. Isn't it too cute?! And on the inside, there's an extra special three-dimensional surprise! Those blocks "pop up" from the card! I believe they use Lasting Impressions for Paper Embossing Templates on the animals.

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And speaking of Invitations... I just found out that TWO of my projects are going to be published in Scrapbook Trends magazine's Invitation Idea Book! Woo hoo! One my loyal readers will recognize... it's the 50th Anniversary card I designed for those two great couples. And the other is a cute Cookie Exchange Invite I created using a surprise element. Shhh... it's a secret for now...

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Edited to Add...

I also wanted to share with you a picture of the "Jungle Cake" that Julie and Sue created for my shower. Those are chocolate covered Oreos (YUM!) and pretzels (YUM x2!) with little plastic jungle creatures nestled among 'em. How creative and colorful!

They're Creepy and They're Kooky...

Well, perhaps I should say "They're CUTESY and they're kooky..."

They're my Halloween Paint Chip Cards that I designed for my World Card Making Day Challenge!

I designed two cards for my Challenge. The first is a quick and easy, simple card in the shape of that enduring Halloween treat... Candy Corn! This was a very easy pattern to create. I based the size on the usable (non-printed) portion of my Behr paint chip. The fold of the card is along the long edge of the left side of the candy. Just for fun, I decided to decorate my card with a goofy face. I know, I know... technically candy corn has a yellow base, orange center, and white tip. Oh well. I think it still looks like candy corn!

The second card that I designed is definitely a bit more complex. And perhaps just a teensy bit creepy. It's my Frankenstein's Monster Paint Chip Card! I really like how this one turned out. I again used a Behr paint chip -- I like its larger size -- and just trimmed off the manufacturer's text along the left side. The base of the card is a 12" piece of orange cardstock trimmed the width of my paint chip. Part of the fun aspect of this design is that it is a gatefold card that opens at Frankie's mouth!

Another fun aspect of this card was in the design of the monster's face. I kept moving different shapes around to find the appropriate expression. At one point, Frankie was lookin' kinda Veggie Tales. Later it was more Sesame Streetesque. You know, like the taller, yellower half of that popular duo, Bert and Ernie. Must be the unibrow...

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In honor of World Card Making Day, here is the complete tutorial for my Candy Corn Paint Chip Card!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: black by DMD; green, white
• Accents: Leaf Self-Adhesive Felt Decorations from Scrapbooking line from Target Stores
• Tools: 1-3/8" and 1" circle punch from EK Success; 5/8" circle punch from Marvy Uchida; hole puncher; Xyron sticker maker
  
• Other: paint chip by Behr; patterns (right-click to download)
  

Instructions:

1. Cut black cardstock and paint chip following patterns. Fold cardstock in half along dashed line. Adhere paint chip to front of card.
2. Punch one 1-3/8" circle from black CS. Cut in half to form "mouth." Punch two 1" circles from white CS. Punch two 5/8" circles from green CS. Punch two small circles from black CS using hole puncher.
3. Adhere circles to paint chip to form eyes.
4. Freeform cut out "tooth." Adhere to mouth. Adhere mouth to paint chip.
5. Adhere felt leaf to top of card for "hair."

Tip: To cut patterns from black CS, print pattern on white paper. Adhere to black CS using removable tape. Cut along lines and remove white paper.

Finished Size approx 3.75" x 4.5"
Enjoy, and Happy World Card Making Day!

Winner of My WCMD Blog Challenge!

May I have a special World Card Making Day Drum Roll, please!

Announcing the winner of my WCMD Blog Challenge! It is Sandee from Dandridge, TN!!! Woo Hoo!!!

It was a tough decision... so much creativity out there! Jennie, your little duckies are sooo cute! And of course, anything baby has special meaning to me right now. And Elaine, I love how you used all those paint chip colors to create your fall leaves! However, my favorite use of paint chips has to be how Sandee embossed them and turned them into darling bird houses! And I love the trim and use of popsicle sticks!

Congrats Sandee!!! Please contact me with your info, so that I can send you your QuicKutz Cookie Cutter Shapes Bundle!

Thanks to everyone who accepted my challenge. And check back soon, as I will be sharing with you the two Halloween Paint Chip Cards that I designed for WCMD!

WCMD: My Blog Challenge

(Cue Mission Impossible theme song...)

Your World Card Making Day Challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to design a card (or two, or three, or four, ...) using those now infamous and highly sought-after PAINT CHIPS! It may be for any theme you wish, but must somehow incorporate at least a portion of one paint chip into the design.

I will pick my favorite and announce the winner here on my blog on World Card Making Day -- Saturday, October 4th. The winner will receive a brand new QuicKutz Cookie Cutter Shapes Bundle package featuring Flower, Spring, and Weather Shapes! I will also be accepting my own challenge and will share my final design(s) with you on WCMD.

To enter, upload a photo of your card(s) to your own blog or online gallery of your choice (like WCMD's own Creation Corner Gallery). Then add a comment to this post including a link to your creation. (Please enter the URL to the website, not to the image file itself.)

On to the fine print...

1. You may enter multiple times - one entry per card design.
2. All entries will be judged on overall appearance, with bonus points for creative use of the paint chip(s).
3. This challenge will not self-destruct. However, all entries must be received no later than 11:59pm on Friday, October 3rd (EST).

Stuck for an idea? Check out my previous Paint Chip Cards!

Let the challenge begin!

My Three-In-One

I just got my copy of the October/November 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine. And what to my wondering eyes should appear -- but my three Halloween Treat Boxes, plus four Sgro Holiday cards filled with good cheer!

That's right! This is the very first publication in which I have more than one project -- and I have THREE in this one! My loyal readers will recognize two of the projects. The first is my trio of Halloween Treat Boxes. They made their original debut on my blog last Halloween.



The second is my trio of Paint Chip Tree Cards. I was surprised by how popular these simple cards turned out to be when they first appeared on my blog last November. Hmmm... I believe that was about the same time that I started lurking in the paint aisle of my local home improvement stores. Coincidence? I think not!



My final project is new to my blog. The editors of Paper Trends contacted me back in June and asked me if I would like to be a part of their "1 Sketch, 4 Styles" feature. (Would I!!!) I call the resulting design my "Holly and Snowflakes" card. This is a very easy card to recreate, as I used a premade card base and just added some embellishments. (Full details in the Oct/Nov 08 issue of Paper Trends.)


Happy (Early) Holidays, Everyone!

Flower Thank U Card

Here is the Thank You card that I designed for Carolyn King's "Heart to Heart" Blog Candy Contest. (See previous post for more details.) The front of the card is shaped like a flower, while the back is a simple 5" square. I added a few embellishments to really make this card pop!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Miss Muffet from Baby line by American Crafts; green by DCWV
• Accents: She - brown chipboard alphabet by Heidi Swapp; Doodles & Heidi - Rose rub-ons by Making Memories; Embossed Ivory Shimmer Table Confetti from Brides line by Gartner Studios
• Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White pen by Y&C
• Stickers: Many Thanks by Mrs. Grossman's
• Fibers: green ribbon from Michaels Stores
• Tools: Mega 2.5" Circle by Marvy Uchida; paper piercer by Making Memories; Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz
• Other: pattern (right-click to download)

Instructions:

1. Cut out card shape from double-sided cardstock following pattern. Fold in half to form a 5" square card.
   
2. Punch circle from green cardstock. Faux stitch green circle and inside square of card.
   Hint: I used a Paper Piercer to create the "stitches" in the circle, and a Serrated Tracing Wheel for the square.
3. Apply Doodle rub-ons to front of flower portion of card, and "so very much!!!" to inside square.
4. Trim "s" from "Thanks" sticker. Apply to green circle. Attach chipboard "u" and flower to front of circle, and folded ribbon to back of circle.
5. Adhere circle to center of flower with foam tape.
   

Bonus Tip #1! Don't be afraid to use portions of your stickers or rub-ons! Just trim off what you need, as I did with my "Thanks" sticker.

Bonus Tip #2! This design works best with a more subtle pattern for the flower portion, and a contrasting color for the square portion of the card. A larger, busier pattern would act like camouflage for the flower shape, as would a low-contrast color combo!

Bonus Tip #3! I used double-sided cardstock for my card. If you do not have appropriate double-sided CS, simply choose two separate cardstocks. Trim one to a 5" square and use the flower part only of my pattern on the other CS. Just add tabs at the top to adhere the flower portion to the back of the square portion.

Finished Size Approx 5" x 5".
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

Enter to Win Great Prizes for a Great Cause!!!

Carolyn King has a wonderful contest called "Heart to Heart" on her blog right now. Unfortunately, Carolyn recently lost her grandmother due to complications from Alzheimer's Disease. Carolyn has already designed a set of stamps through Gina K Designs called Whimsical Autumn which benefits the Alzheimer's Association. And now she is turning her attention and generosity towards another group of people who are also affected by this disease -- the wonderful caregivers of Alzheimer's patients.

Carolyn has contacted various companies and fellow stampers, asking them to donate items to her contest. Well, word has spread, and so many generous companies and individuals have stepped forward to contribute, that the prize package is now worth over $1,000!!! PLUS, dozens of additional creative handmade cards and gifts!!! All for ONE lucky winner!!! And all you have to do is make one card for a caregiver of someone suffering from Alzheimer's.

Well, I was so inspired by Carolyn's story and contest, that I added my own donation and card to the prize. I will be sending the winner a BRAND NEW QuicKutz Rockstar Mini Cookie Cutter Alphabet Set (list price $89.99) along with my Flower Thank U card (photo above).

Head on over to Carolyn's blog to check out the full list of rules and prizes. Hurry! All entries must be received by Friday, September 26th at 8pm Central Time.

"But Angela!" You say, "That doesn't give me much time!" I know, I know... I'm sorry. I only heard about the contest myself late Tuesday. But please! If you have the time, make a card and enter this wonderful contest for a wonderful cause! And spread the word!

p.s. Stay tuned... I will be posting the tutorial for my Flower Thank U card later this week!

Baby Says, "Thank You!"

As I have already received several gifts for the future little Baby Sgro, I thought I would take the time to create personalized Thank You cards for each gift-giver. I based my design on a combination of the two Thank You cards that I created for my "Peas in a Pod" themed baby shower earlier this year.

First I settled on a blue and brown color scheme. (That's right! It's a boy!) Like my "Peas in a Pod" version, I chose to cut an A6 Folded Card in half to form my note card. Again like my previous design, I printed the polka dots along the inside of the card and my sentiment on the front -- this time in brown. I also trimmed the front cover with my scalloped decorative edge scissors.

To truly make this a personalized Thank You, I took close up photographs of each gift and adhered a cropped shot to the card with foam tape. Finally I accented the card with a piece of knotted ribbon. So easy!

Tip #1: Make a bunch of these Thank You cards ahead of time, and just add the photos as you receive the gifts!

Tip #2: Some heavier ribbon can create a knot large enough to add additional postage for thickness. To avoid this extra cost when mailing your cards, switch to a lighter weight, sheer ribbon.

Finished size approximately 4.5" x 3".

Happy Grandparents Day!!!

I'm a teensy bit early -- the holiday is actually not until Sunday, September 7th this year. But here is the card that I made for my MIL from Baby Sgro...

When trying to come up with a design for this card, I found inspiration in Nichole Heady's Daisy card. Like Nichole's card, the front of my card is a piece of transparency sheet. The base of my card is a 5" x 5" piece of glittered, patterned cardstock. I added a strip of green gingham patterned paper along the bottom. I then cut the piece of transparency to 5" x 5.5" and folded down the top 1/2". I glued that top part to the back of my patterned cardstock to form a top-folded card. Then I adhered two pieces of ribbon on the front of the transparency, layering the smaller teal ribbon on top of the gold ribbon. Finally I designed my sentiment in Photoshop, printed it out, punched out the scalloped oval, and attached it to the front of my card. So quick and easy!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Nana's Nursery - Baby Boy by DCWV
  
• Patterned Paper: Bitty Scrap Pads - Ginghams & Stripes Backgrounds by Provo Craft
• Transparency Sheet: write-on by 3M
• Fibers: ribbon from Jo-Ann Stores
• Fonts: Beautiful, Minion Pro
• Tools: Mega Scalloped Oval by Marvy Uchida, sticker maker by Xyron

Tip: These square cards cost an additional 20¢ in postage!

Finished Size 5" x 5".
Additional photos in my online Portfolio.

A Very Merry Birthday! To Me! To You!

That's right, today is the first anniversary of my initial blog post! So I'm throwing my one-year-old a Birthday Party complete with sweet treats, games and prizes. I'm inviting all of YOU, my blog readers, to join in on the fun and festivities! And what better way to begin a birthday party, than with ICE CREAM!!! Ice cream for everyone!

Presenting the complete tutorial on how to create your very own Ice Cream Cone Card...

Supplies:

• Cardstock: brown from K&Company; blue-green, pink, dark pink, and red from Bazzill Basics Paper; black
• Patterned Paper: The Slab II from Provo Craft
• Accents: colored wire by Making Memories
• Tools: 1" circle punch
• Other: patterns (download here!)

Instructions:

1. Cut out shapes for ice cream scoops & cone following directions on patterns. Punch two 1" circles from red paper.
2. Glue patterned paper to front cone piece.
   Cut half moon shape from dark pink paper and adhere to front of "strawberry" scoop.
   Randomly cut "chocolate chips" from black cardstock and glue to front of "mint chip" scoop.
   Cut small half moon shape from pink paper and glue to one red circle to make a highlight.
3. Fold as follows:
   Back copy of "strawberry" scoop back one inch from top
   Front copy of "mint chip" scoop forward one inch from top
   Back copy of "cone" back one inch from bottom
4. Glue front pieces of scoops & cones to back pieces on the small folded areas only (top of scoops & bottom of cone).
5. Glue back of "mint chip" scoop to back of cone, and back of "strawberry scoop to back of "mint chip" scoop, overlapping pieces.
6. Cut approx. 3" piece of red wire. Curl one end into a small circle and adhere to back of red circle with highlight using glue dot. Glue bottom half of "cherry" to top of "strawberry" scoop. Glue other red circle to back of "strawberry" scoop, making a sandwich with the wire.

Optional: Here is the text that I added to the inside of my Ice Cream Cone Card:
The "strawberry scoop" flips up to say "You're like the CHERRY on top of my ice cream!"
The "mint chip scoop" flips up to say "Life without you would be like MINT CHIP without the chocolate!"
The "cone" flips down to say "Thanks for being my friend!"

Finished Size Approx. 5" x 3.75" (plus cherry "stem")
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

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And what would a birthday party be
without games and prizes???

And now, on to the gifts! In honor of my blog's very first birthday, I am giving away a Blog Candy prize package. The package consists of one copy of Paper Crafts magazine's latest special issue "Cards, Gifts, & More: Paper Crafting 3 Ways" (featuring 3 projects by Yours Truly), four packages of Ice Cream themed dimensional stickers, two spools of coordinating ribbon, and one Ice Cream themed box. (Sorry -- due to the high cost of shipping, I can only send this package to residents of the continental United States.)

If you would like a chance at winning this package, simply make a paper craft creation (card, scrapbook, etc.) using Ice Cream as your theme. Then upload a photo of your project to your blog or online gallery. Leave a comment on this post with a link to the website (not the image itself!) by Friday, August 29th at 11pm EST. I will pick my fave and announce the winner here on my blog on Saturday, August 30th. If you already have an Ice Cream themed project online, feel free to enter it!

I can't wait to see your creations! And enjoy the Birthday Party!

Lions, Giraffes, Elephants ... and Butterflies! Oh My!

It's a zoo over here! My house is swarming with wild animals! Animal-themed cards, that is!

I recently designed a trio of safari animal themed cards for Paper Crafts magazine's article "Baby Animals for Baby." And guess what! They have ALL been accepted for PC's March/April 2009 issue! Woo hoo! I'm really proud of this project -- they turned out sooo cute! (If I do say so myself...)

And a first for me and Paper Crafts magazine... Not one, but TWO of my projects will appear in PC's March/April issue! They also accepted a super quick-and-easy Butterfly themed card that I designed using double-sided patterned cardstock and a piece of acetate.

I will post a sneak peek of the card(s) here in January, before the issue hits the newsstands. Perhaps, along with some related projects exclusively for you, my readers! Stay tuned!

Hope You're Feeling Better!

This is the card that I designed for my MIL after her knee replacement surgery (UGH!). It is another variation on last year's "Wishing You Flowers" card and this year's "Happy Birthday Flowers" cards. And like those cards, this one can also be easily adapted to any occasion by simply changing the sentiment.

Like its predecessors, I began this card by printing my sentiment on a piece of transparency film, trimming it to 5" x 10", and folding it in half. However unlike the previous cards, I modified this card slightly in that I added an additional piece of cardstock to the inside front of the card. This solved my "Where do I sign the card so it doesn't show on the front?" dilemma. To achieve the matted effect, I adhered my 4.5" square of solid cardstock to the inside center of the back of my card. I then attached my silk flowers to the front using mini pastel brads. The final step was attaching my 4" square of patterned cardstock to the inside center of the front of my card using eyelets. This covers up the backs of the brads that I used to attach my flowers, so that they cannot be seen from the inside of the card.

Supplies:

• Patterned Paper: Lilykate by BasicGrey
• Cardstock: textured Mat Stack from Brights series by DCWV
  
• Transparency Sheet: for inkjet printers by 3M
• Accents: Pastel Brite mini circle brads & eyelets by Making Memories
• Silk Flowers: Craft Stores

Finished Size 5" x 5".

Proud Mama!

No! Little Baby Sgro did NOT make an early appearance... But another of my creations did make a few cameo appearances on a local Salt Lake City morning television program called Studio 5! My loyal readers will know that I am talking about those cute Cupcake Birthday Cards that I created for the card swap hosted by Paper Crafts magazine's Susan Neal. The segment aired today on Utah's channel 5 at 11am, and described the entire process of an online card swap. Check out the video below, or for more details on online card swaps, follow this link to Studio 5's website...

"Look there he is... front and center... isn't he sooo cute!
Stand up straight for the camera! That's My Darling Cupcake!"

Golden Wishes

This project has been temporarily removed for publication.
I will post again after its appearance in Scrapbook Trends magazine's Invitation Idea Book.

My Darling Cupcake

Besides being a super sweet nickname, it is also a project that I created for a swap hosted by Paper Crafts Pro Susan Neal. The theme for this swap was Summertime Fun! Susan was looking for bright, cheerful, summery cards for either Birthdays or Thank You's. One really cool aspect of this swap is that it is going to featured on a local Salt Lake City morning TV program! The program is called Studio 5, and this particular episode focuses on the entire process of an online swap and will air on July 22nd at 11am MST.

I chose the Birthday theme for my project, and modified a cupcake-shaped card that I had created last year for my friend's son's third birthday. The cupcake "top" flips up to reveal a pocket which holds a die-cut sentiment card. It is also the perfect size to hold a gift card.

I first designed the entire project in Photoshop - including the shading for my cupcake holder, top and candle. Next I printed the individual pieces out on colored cardstock and cut them all out. I added metal snaps for my "sprinkles" and attached the top to my cupcake base. I then created a pocket in my base by adhering just the sides. I attached Velcro to keep the flap closed. Finally I created a candle using similar techniques as the one that I designed for my "Piece of Cake" card and adhered it to my cupcake top.

For the sentiment, I designed a gift card sized insert to fit inside the pocket. I chose a simple "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" saying in a fun, chunky font and used bright colors which echoed the colors I chose for my cupcake "sprinkles." To make it more interesting, I die cut the top of the card around the text.

Speaking of die cutters, I would not have taken on this project for this swap if I did not have access to a die cutting machine. (I had to create 12 of these cupcakes!) I am super lucky to have a Graphtec Craft ROBO - a gift from my DH. Gotta love my hubby! (Well, I have to -- the rest of you can love him from afar!) I like the Craft ROBO because it allows me to cut my own designs instead of using only the manufacturer's. This was actually the first time I used this handy little machine, and I have to say I have mixed reviews. When it worked - I loved it! There was no way I was going to be able to cut out all those cupcake patterns by hand as accurately (and without blisters!). Not to mention the inserts! However, it was rather frustrating getting the machine to read my registration marks -- sometimes it worked, and often it didn't -- and I still haven't figured out why. But anyway, with its help I got my entire project done on time. YAY! That's what I call a sweet ending!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Assorted colors from DCWV; white from Hammerhill
• Accents: snaps by Making Memories; Velcro fasteners
• Transparency Sheet: 3M
• Ink: Sharpie metallic permanent marker by Sanford
• Tools: Crop-A-Dile from We R Memory Keepers; Craft Robo die cutter by Graphtec
• Fonts: Beatnik by LetteringDelights.com
• Software: Photoshop & Illustrator from Adobe; template - original

Finished Size approx. 4" x 5.5"
Additional photos in my online portfolio at sgro.smugmug.com.

BREAKING NEWS: Nationwide Paint Chip Shortage!

AKA "Paint Chip Cake Card Hits the Newsstands!"

I just got my August/September 2008 issue of Paper Crafts magazine, and there it is! Right on page 83 in the "Mediums of Color" column ... my Paint Chip Wedding Cake Card!

To celebrate its grand appearance, here is a similar card that I designed also using a paint chip, but with a very different color scheme.


For this version, I decided to go with bright, contrasting colors. I picked a sherbet orange cardstock for my base and a purple paint chip for my cake. After trimming the paint chip, I again opted to decorate my cake with paper flowers. However, instead of using mini adhesive pearls for the center of the flowers, I chose orange fabric paint. I also used the fabric paint to accent my cake with little swirls. Finally, I adorned the top of the cake with a ribbon bow and flower accent.

Finished Size 4.25" x 5.5"

For more pics of this Paint Chip Cake card, check out my online portfolio.

Feelin' Retro...

Here is a simple card that I created for (yet another!) June Birthday. However, it could certainly work for many other occasions, like Mother's Day or Hello Friend. I found the inspiration for this card in my April/May 2008 issue of Paper Crafts magazine. Leslie Webster designed her "Stylish Pleated Dress Card" using Bambi64's template from the SplitCoastStampers' website. (I have cleaned up Bambi64's pattern and saved it in PDF format. You can download it here.) For my dress, I added my own personal touches using a piece of velvet ribbon and a fabric rose which I hand-sewed to my card.

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Assorted Box of Cards from DCWV; Classic K McKenna Mat Pad by K&Company
• Patterned Paper: Rosey Nook Blossoms from Scrapbook Walls line by Chatter Box; Retro Beads from Paper Pizazz line by Hot Off the Press
• Fibers: Dashes, Dots & Checks ribbon by Michaels
• Accents: ribbon rose
• Template: from SplitCoastStampers.com member Bambi64

Finished Size 4.25" x 5.5".

So Honored...

I was oh-so-pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Tammy Morrill last month. Tammy is the editor of Paper Trends, one of my favorite magazines. Anyway, Tammy wrote me asking if I would like to be a part of their "1 Sketch, 4 Styles" feature for their October/November issue. I was (and still am!) sooo honored! This is the first time that a publisher has specifically approached me to be in their magazine -- as opposed to my flooding them with my submissions!

As the issue is coming out at the end of the year, I chose to create a card with a Christmas theme based on their sketch. I titled it "Holly and Snowflakes." I hope all of you Paper Trends readers enjoy my design! (My blog readers will be able to see the card posted here in December.)

With their acceptance of this card, I will have not one, not two, but THREE of my creations in one magazine! WOO HOO!!! A new record for me!