Finding the squeak!

I have new kicks! They are so pretty and I love that they match a lot of my running clothes, because nothing motivates me to get off my butt and exercise than cute, matchy-matchy outfits. But I have to tell you a somewhat long story about why I would write a post about my shoes. 

So I'm a runner. But let me be clear, I don't "like" running. But I do like food, and fitting into my clothes, and, as I learned in 2013, I like medals! As in the kind you get when you run a race, or as my lovely son calls them, participation medals. But I don't care, those little hunks of metal on a pretty ribbon are the most beautiful thing after so much hard work. 

Anyway, late last year, I developed soft tissue injuries in both of my feet. At first I thought it was my new shoes, so I went back to my old shoes. That didn't help, so after a few months of suffering, I broke down and went to the podiatrist. I didn't particularly agree with his diagnosis, but I followed along and wore the compression socks, the boot, physical therapy, blah, blah, blah - even dry needling, which is a special kind of torture IMHO. But none of it worked. After several months, a lot of money, and worsening pain, I went back. The doctor had one of those aha moments, when they finally hear what you've been saying and changed the diagnosis. I was fitted for custom orthotics (that I didn't want because I'd rather spend that money on travel or craft supplies) and sent on my way. 

I also did a lot of online research and found some shoe recommendations, and proceeded to spend a rediculous amount of time trying on different kinds. I finally found some I like, but managed to buy a pair two sizes too big. I exchanged them for the correct size in a slightly different model, and saved $60! My custom insoles arrived and I went for a run. I'm not saying it was a miracle, but my feet were a thousand times better. Still need to heal a bit more but, I'm very excited that after months of pain, and searching for a solution, I've finally turned the corner. 

So you can imagine my distress the other morning when I put on my awesome new kicks on my way to work and they squeeked! Not just a little squish, but for real, that annoying clownish squeek.  Several times, I readjusted the insoles, and nothing worked. I even tried it without the insole, squeeeek. I wanted to cry. Seriously, one more trip to the mall was more than I could mentally bear. 

Dejectedly, I sat down to take them off and put them back in the box. As I carefully, and whist fully removed them, I brushed my hand on the bottom of the offending shoe and felt it. A peanut! It was wedged in the sole. I removed it, put my shoe on, no squeek! What a relief, and a lesson. Sometimes the squeek is not what you think it is. Be careful before giving up. I've been running three times in these new shoes, they are great, and the insole has worked wonders. 

Mother's Day

One of the challenges of sharing my designs online is being careful not to spoil the fun for someone special that might be receiving the item soon as a gift. And so it goes with Mother's Day! These projects were featured in my April Stamp and Sip, but I've been holding off posting them until my Mom received her gifts.

On a positive note, although this Oh So Succulent suite will be retiring soon 😩, I know those of you who own it will be pulling it out to create with for years to come, so these ideas may come in handy down the road. Or even this week, as there are a few more days before we celebrate Mom. 

I don't know about you, but I spend a lot of time at craft stores! I'm always looking for inspiration. This plain, $1 wooden frame was an Easter special. I think I got it for 60 cents on sale. Well, add some pretty paper, a few flowers, and voila, a quick gift for mom. I traced the frame on the back side of the paper, then cut it out, and used spray adhesive to glue the paper on. 

And of course, Mom needs a lovely card. I made the background design by stamping randomly on cardstock with a monochrome color. This makes every card one of a kind.

And you have to love the faux succulents in a 3D project. So realistic looking. 

Here are the color combinations we used to shade the succulents. Listed from top right to bottom left. 

1) Garden Green cardstock shaded with Mossy Meadow and Raspberry Ripple ink

2) Mint Macaron cardstock shaded with Raspberry Ripple ink

3) Pear Pizazz cardstock shaded with Raspberry Ripple ink

4) Old Olive cardstock shaded with Old Olive ink and just a touch of Whisper White 

Want to know the perfect Mother's Day gift? How about a Paper Pumpkin subscription? You can order one, three, or twelve months online and wrap up the redemption code as your gift! Great for last minute ideas. Mom will love the crafty Surpise in her mailbox every month. 

And starting today, new subscribers get 25% off their first 3 months of you use the promo code "STARTHERE", good through June 10, 2017. 

DIY Embossing Folder

I'm excited to share a new possibility; DIY embossing folders! I know it's hard to see in a photo, but do you notice the textured background on the Bermuda Bay mat? It's dry embossed, but you won't be able to buy that embossing folder, because I made it just for this card! I've given instructions below, so you can make your own embossing forlders too!

Start by choosing the framelits and thinlits you want to use in your design. I have some from mulitple sets here. Grab the sheet of heavier white card stock that comes in the back of each package of Designer Series Paper. It's just the right thickness, and it won't go to waste anymore. Trim the cardstock down into two pieces of the size folder you are making. I did a standard 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 here, but really you could make any size and shape, as long as it fits through your big shot. 

Run one sheet of the cardstock through to cut out the shapes in the design you want. Keep the cut outs, you are going to use them in a minute.  

Now take some washi tape and place it at the top of the cut design sheet, with half of the width hanging over. Adhere the second sheet to that extra half of the tape and fold the two into a "folder."

Now that you have your folder, close it and carefully glue the cut outs onto the uncut sheet. The trick to doing this is to close the folder and glue the shapes right through the holes they made. Just be careful not to use so much glue that it oozes out and glues the whole thing together. I like to use a sponge and some tacky glue to get a light layer. Did you notice the fine use of the binder clip to keep my hands clean? Clever, huh?

Now when you open the folder, you will see how the folder is going to work. Just slide your paper in, close the folder, and run it through the big shot using the regular "sandwich" you would use to cut the framelits out.  This will give you enough pressure to emboss the paper, because the folder is a little hinder than a regular embossing folder.  

And voila! 

Now you have a unique designed folder, talk about the personal touch for your cards! 

I would  love to see what you've designed with this technique.  Leave a comment below with a photo of your card!

Dragonfly Dreams!

A sure sign of summer is the reappearance of fanciful flying creatures, like butterflies, bumble bees, and of course dragonflies! I love the detailed design of the Dragonfly Dreams stamp suite. From the falling confetti background stamp, the fuzz on the bee, to the gossamer wings of the dragonfly that you can almost feel brushing your cheek, this set is gorgeous! And it makes beautiful cards!

Here are few we did at the March Stamp and Sip.  

What is Stamp and Sip? It's a monthly get together of crafty ladies. I do all the designing and prep work, you just show up and play with the awesome products and leave with beautiful cards, gifts, and treats, made by you to share with people you love. 

You should join us. Check out the schedule on Facebook (Cloth, Paper, String), or by clicking the link to my Stampin' Up! Page. 

Birthday Blast Surpise

I love, love, love all the new items in the Spring Occasions catalog from Stampin' Up! 

As a demonstrator, I'm lucky enough to attend On Stage, where we get sneak peeks at the new items months before they are available to the public! (Psst...if you want early access, now is a great time to join my team, get the ultimate product bundle, and an everyday discount on your stamping supplies...just click on the shop button, then the join button on my online store).

The Birthday Blast bundle caught my eye right off the bat. The starburst just screamed tiara to me, so that was the first project I made. Just pick some glitter paper, add a headband and some glue dots. Voila! Crafting Queen!

Once, I had my crown, I was able to work on my next idea. To me, it seems like the starburst is perfect for a pop-up surprise. I fiddled around a bit and came up with this option. Start with a regular card base of colored cardstock cut to 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4". 

Then make a whisper white insert cut to 5 1/4" x 8 1/4". Score it at 4 1/8" and fold. 

To make the pop out notches, line up the folded edge at the top of your trimmer, using the ruler across the top edge to determine your spacing for each notch cut (as listed above at 1", 1 1/4", 2 3/8", 2 7/8", 4", and 4 1/4"), and use the ruler on the cutting plate to cut 1/2" or 1" notches as listed above. This is will make sure that your notches are even on both sides of the fold. 

Keeping the insert folded, press the notches to one side to help crease them. 

This will help you get a nice crease when you open the insert and pull the notches out. 

These will be what you adhere your pop-outs to, either directly or using a scrap of clear window sheet. 

And here's the finished product!

Finally, I'm challenging myself to complete at least one scrapbook page from each stamp bundle. This will help me catch up on my albums and get more comfortable with using stamps for other projects. 

Here's my idea for Birthday Blast in my family scrapbook. Again, feeling a royal vibe with the starburst framelits and stamp. 

Hope you enjoy these projects. I would love to know how you would use this set. 

When Inspiration Strikes

A little while ago, a colleague came to my office and asked if I had a needle and thread. She had a rip in her skirt that needed a quick repair. Of course, always prepared, I did have a small sewing kit in my desk and her wardrobe malfunction was an easy fix. That was when I had the idea I needed for a small holiday gift that I could make for my office mates. 

I had just finished with the matchbox folded pouch for the earings we made at Stamp and Sip the month before so that design was fresh in my mind. I thought a small repair kit would be practical, and with the right supplies, pretty too. So I picked up some sewing needles, safety pins and buttons at the store, and grabbed thread and paper from my stash. All told, I was able to make 20 gifts for about $8. 

I used a 2 3/4" X 2 1/2" peice of solid cardstock for the insert and made half of a hole punch three times on two sides for notches to hold the thread. Then I folded a 6" X 3" peice of DSP scored and folded at 2 1/2", 2 3/4", and 5 1/2". The most tedious part of the project was threading all of the needles. With my eyes not being what they used to be, I've learned to appreciate the needle threading tool more and more. 

Each kit got a pre-threaded length of black, white, and tan thread on a needle. I used glue dots to adhere the buttons to the insert, and stuck the pins right through the paper. I stapled the insert into the cover, folded the matchbook and adhered a holiday greeting with some pretty thread on the front.

This was a great project to assemble while catching up on your shows. I'm currently binging on the Gilmore girls, and Lorelei sews, so this little inspired project was pretty much meant to happen. Plus when my colleagues need a quick fix, they will have the tools and a bright cheerful reminder of me!

Holiday Wishes!

The holiday season is officially here! It's time to let Santa know what you are hoping to find under the tree, and I can help. 

Check out the Cloth, Paper, String wish list (here). Jot down the items you want from my online store (browse here). Add the names and numbers of your Santa(s) and send it back to me (here) by December 7, 2016. I will reach out to your Santa(s), offer to help them check off your holiday wish list, and I will even wrap and deliver your gifts in time for Christmas morning.

And remember, I can also help you choose the perfect gift to give to those crafty people on your gift list. Just be sure to contact me by December 7.

Happy Holidays!