This is another birthday card from the wonderful Colleen. I had forgotten I had this one until I was picking up some things in my office and uncovered it. I love the bright and cheerful colors in this card! Thanks so much Colleen! Enjoy!

This was the Christmas card I got this year from Colleen. I love the traditional Christmas colors and that she made a pocket card. It's fun getting something a little out of the ordinary for the holidays. I love this stamp, too! I loved this whole set! They always put a smile on my face and make me giggle a little because I think the mere size of them is funny to me! Thanks Colleen! Enjoy!

On a side note...I still haven't had time to make cards and all of my stuff is still in storage. But I am thankful to those of you that send me cards and give me something to share with the masses! I have been making more jewelry lately because it was one of the only craft things I left out because I have it contained in a portable case. So I am ordering a couple new items to make some new goodies....or at least attempt to make new goodies! :) I will post some of those new creations in the near future!

This was a card I made a while back at my friend Katie's house for a Stamp-A-Stack. I ended up using them for thank you cards after Christmas. This was the same stamp I used for my Christmas cards last year. I love the colors in this one because, like the last card I posted, they are very traditional Christmas colors. I am always trying t find new and fun color combos that will still work for the holidays. But sometimes it is just best to stick with the traditional way! Enjoy!

This is a card I got a while back from my wonderful blog-friend Colleen. I love that she made this card open. It's like a book. There are so many details to this card. The tab on the side pulls out. This is where she wrote her note to me. I love the colors and she did a wonderful job. I could tell it took a lot of time and I am thankful that she sent it to me! Thank you, Colleen! Enjoy!

I have been making some jewelry lately. Since all of my card making stuff is packed away in storage, I needed to do something creative. And my jewelry making things take up a lot smaller space. :) I had some leftover chain from a necklace I made and attached some discs to the chain and added a clasp. I am definitely going to make myself some more bracelets because I have a really small wrist. And this way I can make them fit me. Most bracelets fall right off. I wear this all the time. I have more jewelry to show you in the next few days. I hope all is well with my fellow readers! Enjoy!

I made this necklace for a friend of mine. I have a necklace that is similar to it and I caught her eying it one day. I looked at the store where I bought it and could not find another. But I knew I wanted to give her one. So I did the next best thing, and made one myself.

I found the supplies I wanted to use at my local craft store and made this beauty for her. She wears it all the time! I also thought it was fitting to post this after the bracelet. I made the bracelet with the pieces I had left over from this necklace! (But I kept the bracelet for myself!) Enjoy!

*PS* I apologize for the not-so-wonderful picture. I had taken this a while ago with my phone right before I gave this as a gift because I had forgotten to take a picture at home. I thought it would be rude to give this to my friend and then say..."Hey, could I have that back so I can take a picture of it for my blog?" :)

These are some cards I made a while back at Katie's last Stamp-A-Stack. (I just went to another one, so I will have some new cards to show you soon!) We recently had a bunch of snow here (Minnesota) and I the snow reminded me of these cards we made. I sadly, have one more set of Christmas-like cards to post that I had forgotten about. This is a picture of the group of gift card holders I brought home.

These are pictures of the inside of the card. I don't know the measurements off the top of my head at which these cards were folded, but I could find out if you really wanted to know!

Finally, these are close-ups of the two different styles of gift card holders I did. I made two of each of these. I couldn't decide which color I liked best for the main card, so I made two of each! And the felt snowflakes and the sparkly brads in the center of them add the perfect touch! Enjoy!

I promise this is the last of the Christmas cards I have to post until next year! I just wanted to be sure I posted them before it got *TOO* far into the new year!

This is the set of this style of card that I brought home with me.

The following pictures show the outside of the cards. I did them in two different ways. I couldn't decide what I liked best. Note the adorable little sparkly crystals on the card. they were quite hard to attach, but I love the unique touch they add. I also dabbed a bit of ink over them to make them stand out a little more. I think it looks like they are glowing! :)

The next pictures are close-ups of the inside. I used a ton of different snowflakes and didn't care much about the order in which I used them. I just wanted to have snowflakes on the insides along with the saying. Some people chose to put the phrases on the outside of the cards.

And I am sorry I do not know the names of the stamps that have been used in recent posts. I am so out of touch with the names of stamps these days. But if there is something you want to know about the items that were used to make these cards, please ask and I will find out for you! Enjoy!

This is a pair of earrings I made. I saw the pieces in various sections at my local craft store. The outer circle was for a necklace, but I saw no reason I couldn't turn them into earrings. I wanted something inside them, and I came across the circle on the inside. They were a perfect fit. I love them.

Something you need to know about me is that I love big earrings. I love earrings in general. I have so many pairs, but I still see ones I have to have or think of something that is lacking my my collection. I have made a number of pairs of earrings lately, so there will be more I'll be sharing with you in the future. :) Hopefully, no one gets sick of me sharing them!

I made a pair of earrings for my friend, Ann, at work. It was recently her birthday and we share a love of earrings. She is always admiring mine and I do the same to her.

This is the pair I made her. I thought these colors were nice because they could go with black or brown (an essential thought when I am making earrings for myself) and also with the blue, they would go well with jeans, too! Even though we can't wear them to work. They can be weekend earrings. ;)

And this is what they look like up close. I love the multi-colored bead. I think it looks so cool.

This is a picture of how I gave them to her. I used to put earrings on a note card and stamp my business name on it. Now that I am not using that business anymore, I thought it would be fun to put them inside the card.

And this is a picture of the outside of the card and you can see the earrings on the inside. It was so fitting that the stamp was a blonde girl, because so is my friend. She asked if that was supposed to be her, and of course I said yes! I had made this card a while back, but knew I had it in my stash and wanted to give it to her.

The earrings were a huge hit and she showed them to a ton of people around the office. You really know someone liked your gift when they willingly show it to others and that made me feel good. Even after being out of the crafting loop for a while, it's nice to know I still have a little bit of creativity in my blood! :) Enjoy!

This is a card I got from Katie. I had this sitting around for a very long time ad finally got around to taking a picture of it. Enjoy!

These are some earrings that I made that are similar to THIS pair that I showed you recently. I made them the same way, but the look is very different. I thought these were funky a bit different. Also...these are the same size and shape even though they don't look like it in the picture. Enjoy!

First...I am not pregnant and neither is anyone I know. :) Second, this is a card I got in the mail from Katie. She made it while I was at her house making Christmas cards and I was so jealous she was making cards. I loved the colors and you will notice that the paper is from the same set as THIS card that I posted the other day. The funny thing, is she sent it to me just because I liked the card. I laughed when I got it in the mail because I knew Katie sent it to me just to make me smile. That's what friends are for! Thanks, Katie! :)

These are some new earrings I made. I was missing a couple elements in my earring collection. So I have remedied that. I made a pair of black earrings. They aren't too long and are really cute. I love the way they turned out. I wear so much black that I can't believe I didn't make these sooner. :) Also, the large part at the bottom came with three of those circles. So I have a third I have ready to add to a necklace chain for a whole set! Enjoy!

This is the first set of cards I have to show you from the most recent Stamp-A-Stack at Katie's. These are some butterfly cards we made. This is a picture of all of them. I will show you each of them individually next. They all have different papers and sentiments on them.

We made a bunch of really cute cards this time. I wanted to share this one because it's finally Spring and we had snow this morning. I needed something to make me think green grass and flowers! The snow didn't last long and the sun was so nice this afternoon. But I still can't wait for butterflies! Enjoy!

This is another set of cards I made at Katie's last Stamp-A-Stack. They are very patriotic. I think they are adorable even with the simple layout. I did change them a little so they aren't all sitting the same direction. You can see that in the picture. I also used different paper and ribbon on them. The only thing I wish I would have added was some glitter. :) Enjoy!

This is yet another set of cards I made at Katie's last Stamp-A-Stack. They are wonderful colors. The pink and the brown look so great together. I used a few different papers to make them look different and I think they are adorable! Enjoy!

And I have not taken the time to update this site recently. But I have some great news...We are moving! You can see a little about it on my other website if you would like.

The good news for my faithful readers is that I will have a craft room back! So in time, I'll finally be able to make some new cards and goodies to post! YES!

So hang in there...I'll be back before you know it!

This is the final set of cards I made at Katie's last Stamp-A-Stack. I just LOVE this card! I think they turned out great. She said she got this one from the Stampin' Up! catalog. So if you have one, you can compare them! :) The colors are so cheerful and I think anyone would be happy to get one of these. I know I would! Enjoy!

This is a pair of earrings I made. I was lacking white earrings in my collection. I didn't have any white beads on hand that I was happy with, so I took apart some old earrings I didn't care for and made these. I just added them to pieces of chain to make them into a cluster.

Every time I wear these I get asked what they are. I call them birds because they appear to have small eyes. But I have been told they look like boomerangs and even teeth! You can make your own decision on what you think they are!

These earrings have been worn a bunch and I don't know how my collection of earrings didn't include these before now! They have become a definite staple! Enjoy!

Last Christmas I received these earrings as a gift. I fell in love with them immediately, but saw one flaw in them for my wardrobe. I don't wear that much red. I wear a lot of pink. I do find many times to wear these, but I knew I had to make another pair of them.

So, I had my hubby teach me how to solder. I bent the earrings to shape and made the square piece. I then soldered the square wire together all on my own. I was so proud! Next, I made the pieces to hang from the earrings and made them all in clear so they were more versatile! Sweet!

I realized there was still one more flaw...Where was the pink!? So I made this little piece on a removable clasp so I could add or remove it as I wanted. And Voilà!

Now I believe that the earrings really suit my needs. I have yet to make more pieces to add to them, but I know it would only take a second to make if I wanted another color. These get worn ALL the time and have become my new favorite pair. (I also get many compliments on them.)

I am now hoping to dapple a bit more in soldering wire to see what other crazy creations I can come up with! I do highly recommend copying something to make it suit your own needs. I have learned how to make many things by doing this. And you can never go wrong trying something new. The worst that happens is you don't like it and you try again! Enjoy!

Last weekend I went with my sister-in-law to a craft studio in our area (Studio at Rush Creek) to make a bunch of glass pendants for her wedding this fall. She's using them as favors in a very creative way! We made almost 150 of them. This is what they look like before they were fired in the kiln to give them smooth edges and fuse the glass.

They will be so pretty when they are done and will make great conversation pieces. This is a finished one my SIL gave me.

Enjoy!

You really need to check out this site I recently came across! It is so funny! It's called Handmade Gone Wrong!

I know all of us out there at one time or another have felt like their project was a complete disaster! But I bet they weren't as bad as some of the things found on this site! And heck....if it is *THAT BAD*....submit it to them for all of us to see! :)

Enjoy!

This little beauty is from my lovely friend Katie. She sent this as a thank you card for her birthday gifts. I love the fun colors on it and this card made me want this stamp! But I have been so good and haven't bought any craft things in ages! Which is mostly due to the fact that I haven't been making much!

I did go to another stamping event at Katie's house and I helped my sister-in-law make her wedding invitations. So I will be working on posting those soon. For now...you get to gaze at this one! :)

Enjoy!

These are some of the cards I recently made at a Stamp-A-Stack at Katie's. Since it is getting so close to fall, I thought I should show a fall card that we made. I think the leaf paper is so pretty and that deep purple is to die for! I used a variety of paper to give them slightly differing looks.

And this is one of them close up. Of course I had to do a close up of the stripe paper (since stripes ARE my favorite) and because I thought the "thanks" was so pretty.

Enjoy!

I saw these online and thought they were a great idea for decorating your table. You could do these for any season and could easily change them with the holidays or to coordinate with your room.

I would love to see some ideas you have for centerpieces or things you have made!

So did anyone out there miss me? I have been busy with school and haven't had a moment to do any crafts. I have a few things saved up that I will be sharing, but I have no idea if there is anyone out there paying any attention to little old me anymore.

If you are still out there, thanks for sticking around. I hope to post something once a week or so for now. At least until I have some things made. I might post some ideas I see that I want to share.

Happy crafting!

For this holiday season, I am sure many of you are making your own cards. Here are a few tips I have learned from making mine.

• Start early. If you are just starting now...you still have time, but don't think it will happen overnight.
• Have your design planned before you start. Don't just dive in hoping something will come to you. It might, but you don't want the added stress if it isn't the way you want it.
• Pick a few colors to work with. You don't want to make it too busy because that just means more time.
• Do one part of the card at a time. This means you'll be going through all your cards a number of times, but it keeps you from forgetting something. For instance, fold all your cards, then attach all of one color to each card, then attach the patterned paper, then stamp your sentiment to all of the cards...getting the idea?
• Get a friend or family member to help. Make it a goo excuse to get together and just chat. The work goes twice as fast and it will just be more fun.
• Don't worry about being perfect. I have done this WAY too many time. Most people won't notice a small imperfection that you can't stop looking at. In a worst case scenario...just send that one to grandma who can't see real well anyway!
• It's the thought that counts. This goes with the previous one. Your friends and family are going to care more about the thought that went into the card than how detailed they are.
• Find a large space and don't be afraid to spread out. You won't believe how much space 60 cards can take up! Put things on the floor as they are drying or if you just want to feel accomplished by everything spread out around you in a sea of cards!
• Buy a stamp sentiment for the inside of the card. You can find something as simple as "Seasons Greetings" to a much longer holiday phrase. This will save your hands from writing what you want to say on the inside. And by the time you are done making them, I promise you aren't going to want to write inside them. Signing your name will be plenty!
• Print your addresses on labels. Again, you don't want to be writing these out. So save a document on your computer to have on hand. This can be your address book, too. It's dual purpose. But after printing on labels, you just stick them on and voila!
• When all else fails...order photo cards online! Like I did this year because I haven't had an ounce of time to make cards. But making cards is still my preferred method for the holidays. :)

I hope some of these tips have helped give you some ideas you hadn't thought of before. Or just some ways to make an daunting task a little more fun. Happy card making!

Difficulty:
(1/5)

With the holidays approaching and desire to make cards is upon us, this is a simple guide to making your own pattern paper and mass producing cards. Make a variety of colors and keep them on hand. Or give a matching set of cards as a gift!

››› Click here to see the rest of this project ‹‹‹