Warm Fuzzies

Birthdays are always a great excuse to make some fun cards. December birthdays are no exception...and just because it's wintery doesn't mean they can't be pretty!

Supplies: Kraft cardstock, clear embossing powder, twine, Background Tree, Friend Definition, and Sentiment by Hero Arts, Flowers by Recollections, Paper by Basic Grey (Kioshi 6x6 paper pad), and Distress Inks by Ranger

This is a card I made for my mom's b-day. I had stamped and embossed the tree on a card a while ago, but couldn't figure out how to use the card...until now! Layering the flowers and stamping them with the Friend Definition by Hero Arts gave the card a lot of dimension. The icing on the cake was the old purple button I got from my mom's button box--perfect match! Too bad it shattered in the mail :( The Post Office totally lied when they told me that putting an extra 10c stamp and writing "Fragile" on the envelope would keep my cards safe! Good thing I took a photo first.

Another Butterfly Card...and an oldie!

Hello all!

Yes, yes...I know. I have a butterfly complex. I just love that Martha Stewart punch! And I love how the wings can be bent up to give more dimension, complexity, and even a hint of life to the card. I hope they don't come out all smooshed after going through the mail!


I was very inspired by this card by the lovely Kristina Werner for this project. She is unbelievably talented! Plus she puts out amazing videos TWICE (yes twice!) a week for both Make a Card Monday (MACM) and Finally Friday (for Two Peas). I absolutely love her style!

This card clearly wasn't exactly for a happy occasion. However, I tried to keep it light, and the butterflies fluttering up gave the card a "lifting up" appearance, at least to me. I tried to keep the colors away from being too dark, while simultaneously keeping in mind that the card was for a guy. I know--I know! There's pink and baby blue on it, but it was in remembrance of his mother, so I thought it would be Ok!

Supplies: Cardstock by Recollections, Paper by My Mind's Eye (Bohemia Collection), Punch by Martha Stewart, Greeting by Hero Arts, and Glossy Accents by Inkssentials

I also found this little guy tucked away from some time last semester. The photo is absolutely awful, but I love the card! I did some matting of white cardstock on brown for the interior. The girl I gave it to was shocked that I made it. (This was when I first started making cards to give to others; before that, I had been a scrapbooker only, and I wasn't big on showing my work to other people.) And I still remember this--she said she couldn't believe I had made it; it looked like I had bought it. It was pretty much the best compliment ever, and that's when I decided to keep working on cards to give to others. It was the beginning of showing other people my work! *Sigh* How nostalgic of me.

Supplies: Cardstock by Recollections, Background Stamp by Hero Arts, Butterfly Punch by Martha Stewart, Greeting by Hero Arts, and Perfect Pearls by Ranger

Off for some more school reading...joy.

- mLe

Wedding Fun

Hey everyone!

So seeing as how I'm in my early/mid 20s, I guess I'm getting to the point in my life where people are going to be getting married...a lot. My good friends Nicole and Andrew were numero uno on the list of people-I-know-and-care-about-and-who-invite-me-to-their-wedding, and I was so excited about everything that I volunteered to help with some bits and pieces, some of which fell into the crafting department, so I thought I'd share here!


Overall, I helped with menus...



...table numbers...


...and--my favorite!--the programs.



I don't use my Cricut as much as I thought I would, but this was one project that would have been next to impossible without it. It just so happened that one of the cartridges that came with my Cricut has a very very similar little branch to the motif on Nicole and Andrew's invitations. From there, we worked with their teal and brown color scheme to incorporate subtle amounts of brightness, sophistication, and a touch of fun to both the ceremony and the reception.

It ended up being a lot of work (and a fair amount of stress until I got the settings just right on the Cricut and learned how to angle and space things properly), but it was totally worth it! I particularly love the programs with the little pop dots underneath the square to give a little dimension. So fun, and, if I do say so myself, professional.


Yay for Nicole and Andrew!


- mLe

Father's Day Love

Ok, ok, this post is way super old. Sorry! But I thought it was worth sharing anyway :)

In honor of one of the many important holidays throughout the year, I made my dad an extra special card. Jennifer McGuire was featured on the Hero Arts Blog for a week earlier this month, and she focused on resist, so I decided to give it a try! Very easy and very fun, with great results, if I do say so myself (and I do)! I tried to keep it as masculine as possible considering it was for father's day, but I don't own much in the line of manly stamps...nature (minus flowers) seems to be a relatively safe bet when it comes to members of the opposite sex. Green and blue are typically Ok as well, but....mixed together with tealy blending ends up being rather feminine. Woopsies. Sorry Dad :)

Supplies: Cardstocks by Recollections, White Embossing Powder by Stamp'n'Stuff, Distress Inks by Ranger (applied using the Blending Tool), Greeting by Hero Arts, and Branch Clear Stamp by Inkadinkado

I love the addition of the cute little banner with the greeting. (I forgot to take a pic up close from a side angle--sorry! Trust me, it's 3-d!) The card looked so naked without it, and I had seen a quick tutorial by Julie Ebersole (from Amuse) on how to do them. Very quick and simple, and such a fun addition that really rounded it all out with simple contrast and a nice weight in the corner. Yay :)

I did a small bit of matting and distress-inking on the inside where I hand-wrote my message. I love inside matting; it gives a card such a finished, crisp feel.

One thing I did learn from this project was to keep in mind the size of the card and thus, the needed envelope. I measured the width and then totally forgot about the height on this bad boy...had to get rather creative with the end-result envelope. This is also something to keep in mind when it comes to cost/postage. As learned on earlier cards, foam dots add enough thickness that they can bump you up in class. Heh :)

- mLe

Free Silhouette SD giveaway!

Super quick post!

I know...it's too good to be true, right? Wrong!

Check it out here!

Butterfly Card

It’s finally here: my first card (well, anything) post — joy!

I’ve been working hard and trying to create some fun spring cards. These happen to be thank-you notes, but they could really bear any message you wanted. These butterflies are just so darn cute–they could say anything! I got the dimensional idea to make the wings stand up from Jennifer McGuire (she’s where most of my ideas come from, including my blog name. Check her out here. You’ll fall instantly in love with her style!). I have to admit, I used my Cricut for this card, but you could certainly get away making these without one — just be creative in your shape-cutting!

For this project, I used:

• Paper Products
  • Textured notecards by DCWV, from their “Box of Cards” in what I like to call “Dusty White” and “Bright Sky” (they are otherwise nameless)
  • Cardstock by Recollections, from the “Neutrals” pack in what I like to call “Chocolate,” “Silver Lining,” and “Snow White” (again, otherwise nameless)
  • Paper by My Mind’s Eye, from the Bohemia stack
• Tools
  • Butterfly Punch by Martha Stewart Crafts
  • Cricut Cartridge: Accent Essentials
    • Accents 48, 11, and 6
  • Mini Mister by Ranger
  • 1/4 inch square foam adhesives…lost the paperwork for this one!
• Stamps, Ink, and Other Visuals
  • Antique Linen Distress Ink by Ranger
  • Black ink by Color Box
  • Aqua ink by Color Box
  • Block Stamps 1 by Autumn Leaves
  • Dots and Flowers stamp by Hero Arts
  • Thank You stamp from Expressions Set by Hero Arts
  • Perfect Pearls in Perfect Pearl by Ranger (used in the Mini Mister)

I don’t think my blog will ever be used to provide step-by-step directions, but with the list of products, I hope you can all figure it out on your own, if you are so inclined. Plus, it’s way more fun to be inspired by people and then add your own twist. Your work will be much more “you” that way. And we all want our work to scream “me me meee!!!” : )

As I mentioned earlier, I was very inspired by Ms. McGuire to make these; I just LOVE her work. It’s always so clean, simple, and cheerful. As far as I’m concerned, things don’t need to be fancy to be fun or cute, which is my goal when I make cards. (That, and of course enjoying myself while I make them!)

I hope these have inspired you to usher in spring by sending someone a card of some kind. Snail mail may be slow, and it may cost more than e-mail, but let me tell you — nothing beats seeing a pretty envelope with a hand-written address in your mailbox!

Happy spring!

Here Goes Nothin'!

Getting used to this bad boy!
Trying some different things out as far as spacing.

and other things.

Now I need to try and figure out how to make a new page...

- mLe

Tips + Tricks

. : A collection of ideas:

• Don't waste precious crafting money on pre-cut and folded note cards. Standard-sized cards are half of an 8.5x11 piece of cardstock. Just slice in half, fold, and go! It's cheaper and means that your options for card base colors are vastly increased.

• Foam dots, squares, etc. are fun and add great depth and interest to cards! However, keep in mind that the Post Office takes thickness into account, along with height, width, and weight, when it comes to calculating your postage. This is not only something to keep in mind for yourself, but something to note if you ever make a set of cards as a gift; the last thing a card gifter would want for a card giftee is for them to be caught off guard at the Post Office or end up with their precious time-sensitive card back in their mailbox--yikes!

• Need a strip of paper to add as an embellishment that you want to match the background of your card/scrapbook page? No problem! And no need to waste another card to chop some up! Simply use a paper cutter to slice off a thin strip from the bottom of your card and — presto magic — a perfectly matched embellishment. This would also be a good way to make a set of cards that tie in to each other; use the strips from one color to add to the second, and use the strips from the second to add to the other! Voila: a perfectly coordinated set.

• Don’t waste time using a piece of paper as a catcher when using frequently-reached-for embossing powders or glitter. Swap that makeshift funnel for a small plastic container you would stick your leftovers in! Just dump you most-used powders inside separate containers with a spoon of some sort, and sprinkle right over the container when embossing, then dump the leftovers back inside. When you’re done, just pop the top back on; it might take up a bit more space, but it is well well worth it. (Note: got this idea from Jennifer McGuire!)

• Under the gun? Feeling uninspired for your card layout? Try taking a peek at the Hero Arts card sketch database! There are lots of great ideas to get your creativity juices flowing again! Or, you can check out their Flickr Pool too! Lots of talented people out there to help you get inspired!

This is an evolving page. Check back for updates!

Have an idea for a great tip or trick? Leave a comment with some sort of credit to the founder. If you’re cool enough, I just might add it to my page : )

Cards and Scrapbooking

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3!