Golden Moments

Veterans Day Thanks

Hello there. Popping in with a peek at two cards that were created for Veterans Day. Thank you to all that have served their country through military service.

These were created for Therm O Web and feature ways to use their iCraft Adhesive Sheets and Easy-Tear tape.

There is a lot you can do with these products in addition to using them as straight up adhesive, such as adding glitter with much less mess and more precision than liquid glues.

Thanks so much for visiting today. You can find all the details for these cards, including a supply list, over on the Therm O Web blog.

Simon Says Stamp Guest Post

Hello there and welcome, especially to any first-time visitors. I hope you like what you see and come back to visit again soon. Today I have a guest post on the Simon Says Stamp blog where I show three ways to use foil in your crafting. They are also hosting a blog candy giveaway. You can find all the details and instructions HERE. 

Foiling is so trendy right now and there are several methods for using it on both paper and fabric. These gift tags are easy to make and a fun way to add a little shine to your project. The only thing I don't like about foil is that it is hard to capture the full effect in a photograph. 

In the post on the Simon Says Stamp blog I walk you through several methods for applying foil - some require a heat source (such as a laminator or iron) and others do not.

You can also layer foils for a painted look.

Thanks so much to the folks at Simon Says Stamps for inviting me to their blog today!

Have you tried foil yet? I'd love to hear what you think and answer any questions you might have. Also, I'd love to check out any projects you have made using foil - just leave a link for me in the comments. 

Have a wonderful day!

Back to School Projects Using DecoFoil

Mid-August! How is it even possible? This summer has been wonderful. Beautiful, sunny days jam-packed with celebrations and get togethers, reading, evenings on the porch playing board games as a family, gardening, making jams and preserves, and even some crafting... but not much in the way of blogging. Once the routine of the school year kicks in, I'm sure you will see me back here on a more regular basis.

I wanted to pop in today with links to a few recent posts over at Therm O Web featuring DecoFoil in a variety of back to school projects. The first is an apple-shaped thank you card that was created using a Silhouette electronic die cutting machine.

It takes a little time to set up the cut files, but once that is done it would be easy to reproduce multiples of this card. Change the word "Teacher" to Mr. or Ms. Teacher'sName for a customized card. The card is sized to hold a gift card inside.

You can find the full post with more detailed instructions HERE.

The next projects were created with Echo Park's new Teacher's Pet collection designed by the uber-talented Jen Gallacher. Jen and I were on the Karen Foster Design team together for years and it is so exciting to see her branching out with her own set of products! Check it out.

Cute, huh?! Here is the quick and easy card I created which has a gold foil medallion made with DecoFoil and double-sided foam adhesive.

In addition to a simple card, there is a set of mini flashcards and monogrammed bookmarks also with gold foil accents.

You can find more photos and details HERE.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I hope you have a wonderful day!

 

 

Book Lover's Gift Set

Hello friends! I want to share this project as it is the first thing I have made in ages that wasn't tied to a manufacturer, publisher, or deadline and it was such a joy to create without any constraints. This also features one of my favorite stamp sets of all time: All Booked Up by Papertrey Ink.

This is a thank you gift for a dear friend who has been so helpful to me during the last few months. 

She is an avid reader so I thought a gift card to Amazon would be better than hoping to choose a book that she hadn't already read. The card came in a black box with a bright orange bow. I kept the box but added my own wrap.

The set of five bookmarks was inspired by one that Betsy Veldman created out of felt. These are made out of two layers of heavy cardstock. I also wanted to incorporate some epoxy brads I had on hand that I thought went well with the paper. Using two layers of cardstock helped to hide the back of the brads. Here is my version:

They were packaged in a glassine bag tied with baker's twine. I love the way they turned out and hope my friend does too.

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you have any questions as to the supplies I used, drop me a note in the comments and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Update on me: So far, so good on the treatment. I'm pretty tired and my hair is all but gone, but otherwise it hasn't been too awful. On Monday I'll be starting my last round of five days of chemo. The doctors have said it can take several weeks to months to start feeling "normal" again. I'm really looking forward to being on the other side of this. All indications are that the treatment is working and I'll be able to consider myself "cancer free" soon. Thank you for the cards and emails of support - they mean so much!

Gardening themed Thank You cards

Well, maybe not gardening themed exactly, but perfect for someone who is a gardening enthusiast.

Sometimes it's fun to make cards with older supplies... things that might not be the latest and greatest, or uber-trendy... but are products I still like but haven't used for one reason or another. Do you have anything like that in your stash? 

Here are three cards I made using the same basic supplies and were inspired by a sentiment from Papertrey's Inside Out: Thank You stamp set.

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

Afterall, if you are going to take the time to pick out some supplies that go together, might as well make up a bunch of cards rather than just one.

Using up your old supplies is a good thing... think of it as a form of spring cleaning! :)

On your mark... get set... GO!

Are you ready for the holidays? I know that I'm not... but am trying to get a jump on our annual Thanksgiving dinner which is growing by leaps and bounds. On my list for this week is in depth cleaning... including the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry... and stocking up on any ingredients I'm running low on.

Gratitude... giving thanks... reflecting on our many blessings... spending time with friends and family... that is what this time of year is all about. Each year I try to do a better job of keeping that front and center... but often wind up rushing about from one thing to the next in a frantic attempt to check things off of my seemingly endless to do list. Hope to do better this year.

Here is a card I made for you. (Well, okay, really for Paper Craft's Card A Day book). I am so grateful to all of you who stop by to visit! 

Here's to a wonderful, unstressful, and gratitude-filled holiday season!

More thank you ideas

Couple more thank you card ideas to share today - hope your holiday preparations are going well! 

 (published by Paper Crafts magazine)

 (published by Paper Crafts magazine)

Same design, just changed for the different seasons - these were created for a Paper Crafts online article. Easy to make with circle punches or dies and scraps of paper:

 

 

and this is another set created for Paper Crafts online - these all have an international flavor:

 

 

Thank YOU for stopping by - have a great day!

Giving Thanks

With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. it's natural to start reflecting on all the many things for which we are thankful. One way to express our thanks is with a card - often we will send a thank you card after someone has done something for us or bought us a present... wouldn't it be nice to send a thank you card to someone for no particular reason other than you are thankful for having them in your life?

Here are a few ideas for some quick and easy thank you cards to get you started -

(published by Paper Crafts Magazine)

(created for Green Sneakers)

(created for Green Sneakers)

(created for Karen Foster Design)

I know how busy we all are at this time of year, so I'm going to try to keep my posts relatively short... I'll be sharing lots more thank you card ideas over the coming weeks.

I'm thankful for you all and the wonderful comments I get on my blog... there have been many times in the last year when I've thought that trying to keep up with this blog is just one more thing on my to do list that I struggle to find time for and why bother... and then it seems like there is a sweet comment from someone that is the boost I need to keep at it - thank you!!