Gift Cards Galore

I have ALMOST finished my first "order" of gift cards. This weekend I put the final touches on each of them, including stamping a little sentiment on each of the message cards. The last thing I have to do is write/stamp "Avon Gift Card" on them and then I get to hand them over.

This whole experience has motivated me so much. I can't wait until this weekend when I can craft some more!

I'm so excited...

... and I just can't hide it!I FINALLY got my new laptop. YEA! And my wonderful husband has just finished hooking it up to our router, and I have my safety software installed, and best of all my CS3 package is on here. It is running great and I cannot wait to start utilizing it for all that it is worth.

I am also happy to announce that I have received my first crafty order! Someone actually likes my designs! I always hear compliments from my mom and sisters and other family members, but when someone on the outside likes them too... I can't explain it. It makes me feel even more special. So now I have to get to work creating them for her. I have 25 cards to make by the 31st. I think I will end up cutting all the paper to the correct size this weekend and then begin assembling during the week! I have pictures of the cards to share, but needless to say, I do not have them on this computer yet. Don't worry I will soon though!

Today has been a great day!

I love baby gifts...

A close family friend's daughter recently had her baby. She named her Delila Grace :) I love little babies and am a bit jealous that I have yet to have my own baby girl. Maybe someday...

This gave me a chance to make my first baby memory can! I am so proud of it. It came out perfectly for a little girl! I have one more gift up my sleeve for Little Miss Delila, but I have to wait until I get her christening picture to make it.

I hope you enjoy these pictures and they give you some inspiration :)

A few more cards & crafts...

Since I have a few more moments before I have to officially start my day, I thought I would post a couple more cards that I have created. February is not only a time for Valentine's Day cards, it is also a time for me to make birthday cards since both of my parents celebrate then.

I had so much fun creating these cards. For my dad's card, I used my new Papertrey sets ("My Punny Valentine" & "Year Round Puns"). My dad loves the corny jokes, so I thought it was appropriate for him. I just LOVED the little squirrel in the set. I tried to flaux him/her, but had no luck. I was really disappointment that it didn't work out, but the card still came out cute :)

For my mom's card, I wanted something bright and colorful. My mom always has a way to brighten my day, so I used yellow as the base color for her card. I then used Papertrey's "Faux Ribbon" set to create a beautiful bright ribbon! Can you tell I am loving my new stamps?!? The last stamps I used were from the little Studio G sets that you can get in the dollar section at AC Moore or Michaels. I used my Versamark stamp pad to create a present pattern on the yellow card stock. And then created a birthday button, using another one of the stamps :) I love my dollar finds!

Well, it is just about that time to get going. I hope to get the presents for Delila started today, so maybe I will have something to share by this weekend :)

Too Early...

I have been up since around 4:30! What is wrong with me?!? So I have spent most of my time thinking of cute little baby gifts for Erika's new baby (Delila Grace). I have a few things I would like to do, including a baby announcement print, so she can hang it up in the nursery. The last baby announcement (Note: The color of the announcement was a light salmon pink) that I designed was for little Mandie who is 4 months old now! Gosh, time passes so quickly!

The other gift I want to create is a Baby Memory Paint Can. It is the alternative of a baby book. This way busy mom's can just jot down important memories as they happen (teething, first step, rolling over, lifting head, etc) and then move them to a baby book.

Since Erika loves little baby animals, I think I will design the announcement print and the paint can both with that theme :) I can't wait to start work on these. Babies give me soo much inspiration!

How to Store Clear Stamps...

I am hopelessly addicted to clear stamps! I love how you can see to position them where you want them when crafting! I love the G-Studio $1 packs from AC Moore & Michaels that have like 8 stamps to a set! I love the super cute sets you can get from Papertrey (my new favorite site to go on!) I cannot stop buying them. So when Kim started getting addicted to stamping, I just knew I had to introduce her to the world of clear stamps. Once she became addicted like me, she asked me how I store mine.

I have chosen to store mine in a 3-ring binder which is filled with acetate pages that you can get from any office supply store. Each page has a different theme (i.e. birthday, baby, hearts, etc.) To the left, you can see a picture of my binder. I believe it is opened to the flowers page :)

When I recently received my order from Papertrey, I noticed a very creative way that they suggest you store your clear stamps... in a CD case. Each of their sets comes with its own clear case and label for the spine. This way you can store them in a CD rack in your "craft room". One day when I have a craft room I will store all the cute sets I have from Papertrey in this way! Of course we will have to be in a house of our own and have more room... so by thwn I will have bought all of their sets ::dreaming::

Well, I would post a few pictures of the recent cards I have made, but my tummy is growling and my chihuahua is demanding my attention :)

Aching to Stamp

So it has been awhile since I have posted anything to this blog. Trust me, I have wanted to so many times, but this week has been a hectic (and tiring) one for me. But I am aching to get my creative juices flowing. The best part is Saturday morning I will get that chance! I have quite a few February birthday cards to make and then the Valentines for Alia's teachers. I have the ideas in my head and ready to get them out. It is just a matter of time... So by Sunday I promise I will have them up.

Until then....