please vote for me!

So, on a whim last week I entered Becky Higgins' Holiday card contest and my design made it into the top 25! The rest of the contest is based on votes. The top 10 are going to be offered as free downloads on her blog. I'm kind of excited and would appreciate any votes for my design! Voting ends tonight. If you want to check out the contest ... it's on her FB page. You just click on the "Holiday Card Finalists" photo album and "like" your favorite card (or you can just click the image below to go straight there). If you have another favorite, I'm cool with that :) but she did say we could encourage our friends and family to vote for ours. I think mine is #23 in the album. Here's what it looks like (p.s. that's not me... just the photo they used for the contest):

Click on the image to vote. Just "like" this picture on Facebook.

Thanks for letting me share!

sweetness sneak peek

the little things

I know... it has been many, many weeks since I posted. We have had a lot of life changes lately, and 24 hours in a day has just not been enough for me. Something had to give, and unfortunately it was my design time, which is already pretty limited. BUT... I carved out a little time this month and teamed up with the amazing Wendy of WM[squared] designs to create this fun collab:



You can get it for 20% right now at ScrapMatters!

Here are a few pages of CT inspiration:

Ophelia (navaja77)

Tinci

Lisa (kelsey11)

For all my blog readers... here's an add-on that coordinates with The Little Things. Just click on the preview to download the add-on for free.



Thanks for stopping by!

graduation and birthday cards

I just wanted to share a couple more tri-fold card I made. These double as a card and a gift because there's room to add a little $$ or a gift card.

Subway art: eighteen25 (the one shown above is last year's version, but they also have one for 2012)

Graduation cap: Haynay Designs

Subway art: eighteen25

Present: ScrapMatters Cupcakes and Candles Collab

Need a quick teacher gift? I think most teachers would love a gift card to spend. Eighteen25 also has a really cute teacher version of their subway art. Find it here. See the dance teacher version I made here.

new hybrid template + freebie

Gift Card Envelope Template v.1

I have a new hybrid template out today in my guest shop at The Lilypad.  It's a gift card envelope just in time for you to customize and use for Mother's Day this weekend or to thank the teachers in your life at the end of another school year! Plus, you can get it for 20% off right now.





If you've never used one of my hybrid templates before, this is a great one to try. It's a fairly simple one to put together.

If you have a digital die-cutter, just open one of the cutting files, pull out a favorite scrapbook paper from your stash (or print a digital one!) and set it to cut. A couple of tips... if you are using the .dxf or .svg file, I find that cutting programs often resize these as they are opened. If this happens you will need to resize it to fit a gift card. You can use the .jpg or .pdf file as a guide on what size to make it. If you are using Silhouette software, the .studio file should open in the correct size. I also included small slits on the score lines, so when it cuts, you can easily tell where to score and fold. If you don't want these to cut, you can ungroup the template in your cutting software and get rid of these small lines.

Don't have a digital die-cutter? No worries... my templates are user-friendly and easy to use even if you don't! I include .psd, .png, and .pdf files for use without digital cutting machines. The .psd and .png files allow you to customize the envelope with whatever digital products and elements you want before you print. Once you design your envelope, just print, cut out and assemble (assembly instructions are included). You will probably want to use an x-acto blade or small detail scissors to cut out the notches. If you have a stash of cardstock or scrapbook papers just waiting to be used, the .pdf file is perfect. It includes just the guides, so you can print it on the wrong side of the paper (so you don't see the lines), cut out, and assemble.


Facebook Freebie

Did you know I've started offering freebies to those who "like" my Facebook page?  I have a brand new one up today just in time for Mother's Day. My Simply Cut series is a product that both hybrid and purely digital scrapbookers can both use. This particular one has pieces of word art that are sized perfectly for use with my new gift card envelope template above.

For those who prefer strictly digital projects, use the .png files as clipping masks. You can change the color of them or clip your favorite papers to them, and you're good to go!

For the hybrid group, you can use the .png files to customize, then print out and just cut around the edge If you don't have a digital die-cutter, don't worry about making all the detailed cuts. The files are on a transparent background, so you can fill the background with whatever color/paper you want. If you have a die-cutting machine, I've included cutting files... makes cutting them out a breeze!





Go to my Facebook page and "like" it if you don't already to download Simply Cut: Mom.


Have a great weekend!



P.S. Sign up for my newsletter (over on the right) to receive additional savings on my new products!

grab bag revealed

I just wanted to pop in and let you know my grab bag from iNSD has been unpacked into individual product in my shop and is on sale for 30% off today only (until 11:59 PST tonight - Thursday).

There's also a free frame cluster on my Facebook fan page, so head on over and "like" my Facebook page if you want to grab it. :) I will probably be switching it out sometime today for a different freebie, so make sure to grab the frame today!

iNSD + a guest gig

iNSD Grab Bag
Happy iNSD!! I have a great grab bag with four brand new products worth $15 total for ONLY $5! Here's a peek... you can see the full product previews in my shop... just click on the image below.






Guest Gig at The Lilypad
I'm really excited to be guest designing at The Lilypad this month!  I have two new products out as part of BYOC, and they're 30% off right now!


I had a lot of fun creating this set of shabby everyday papers:






I also created this new set of cutting files. The great thing about my cutting files is they are great for those who are purely digital scrapbookers and for the hybrid enthusiasts. I've included .png files that can be used as clipping masks (just clip your favorite paper to them) for use on digital layouts. I've also included cutting files for those who have a digital die cutting machine.






I also have a few new products being released at The Lilypad tomorrow, so make sure to check back for those. I hope you have a great weekend shopping and scrapping!

bloom

This week I'm releasing my portion of the ScrapMatters April Mixed Matters grab bags. I created this spring-themed kit called Bloom. I loved the color swatch my team chose to work with!



If you snag it this weekend, you can get it for 20% off as part of the ScrapMatters New Release sale!

new kit... bloom sneak peek

Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to receive additional savings the day my new products are released!

going

Do you have busy little ones (or big!) at home that are always on the move? I have a two-year-old... I think that says it all! I created my latest kit, Going, to document some of these very busy moments. It's a fun, bright kit with lots of versatility. It's 20% off through the weekend... just click the preview below to take you to my shop!



P.S. Did you know that newsletter subscribers get even more savings on my new releases? You can sign up by clicking the subscribe link over on the right side of my blog. ------->

going... coming 03.30.12

happy st. patrick's day...

... a day late! Here are a couple of more fun things we did this month.

Rainbow jello cups were a big hit with my kids:



We also made sugar cookies. My kids love rolling out the dough and frosting them:

(Label is a free download... click here to get it.)

I didn't get pictures yesterday, but my kids woke up to the fun tradition of having the leprechauns visit in the night. They tip over furniture, make a mess, and turn the milk green, but they usually leave a small treat or prize for the kids. This year they left a pile of gold dollar coins which my kids divided between them. It's kind of silly but something I always enjoyed as a kid and am happy to carry on the tradition with my own kids.

Also... very excited to have my St. Patty's treats from this post featured on TLC Parentables. You can check it out here. :)

st. patty's treats

Here's a fun treat that's quick to put together and perfect for St. Patrick's Day.



These pot-of-gold-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow bags really are so easy to make. Here's what I did:

• Stick four wrapped Rolos in the bottom of the bag. (I used Wilton pretzel bags like these here, except I found mine at Wal-Mart. They ended up being the perfect size.)
• Layer the Skittles in rainbow order from the bottom up. I put in a small handful of Skittles for each layer... there's no set amount to use, just put them in until it looks right.
• Cut a piece of cardstock that is 2"x3.5" and fold it in half. Fold the top of the bag down, and cover it with the cardstock. Staple to close bag and hold cardstock in place.
• Cover the staples with a tag or St. Patrick's Day graphic.

I liked the clouds with the whole rainbow theme. The clouds I used are available as a free download here if you want, or you can create your own tag for the top. If you download the clouds, it comes as a ready-to-print .pdf file and also includes some punchable circles that can be used for St. Patrick's Day. They are sized to fit 1" and 1-1/2" circle punches.

Note: On my monitor, these tags look a lot brighter than they print. The green I used is more of a traditional, normal green and that's how they print.

celebrating dr. seuss' birthday

Hat pattern found here.

Green eggs and ham for an after-school treat. (Made with white chocolate, green M&M's, and pretzel sticks.)

Don't forget about these printable bookmarks... free for a limited time! Click here to get them.

dr. suess' birthday + free printable

Did you know that Dr. Seuss' birthday is this Friday, March 2? My kids' teachers are doing fun activities with them all week, and then on Friday some of them are going to have a read-a-thon in class. Last year we made bookmarks for the kids to give their classmates, and it was a big success so we thought we'd do it again. I created a new bookmark for this year, and I am going to print and cut them out and then laminate them to make the bookmarks more durable. My kids are going to give them to their classmates on Friday, just in time for the read-a-thon!



For a limited time, you can get these bookmarks for free. Just click on the image above to take you to my shop where you can download them. They come four bookmarks to a page in .pdf format (you will need Adobe Reader, a free download, to view them). Super easy... just print and cut!

Do you or your kids' teachers do anything to celebrate this fun day? I would love to hear!

sale on valentine products

Are you ready for Valentine's Day? It is one of my favorite holidays... so many fun things you can do to celebrate! To help you get a jump start on your Valentine's Day crafting, I'm having a sale. For one whole week, you can get any of my Valentine products for 20% off! Use code VAL_SAVE20 at checkout to receive the discount (note: this code will only work for the products shown below). This offer is only good until February 10, 2012, so hurry fast!

valentine pencils

**Note: Click here for an updated Valentine Pencil post.**

I posted these pencils two years ago here. I can't take credit for the original idea. I first saw a project like this in the gallery at ScrapMatters, and the person who posted them there first saw them on another girl's blog, and I think she saw them somewhere else, too... Anyway, I guess somebody somewhere first came up with this creative idea. :) I was also lucky enough to have a back-to-school version of the pencils I made featured in the September 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes and through CK on a local TV show, Studio 5.



I would link you to the tutorial I followed, but I never did find directions to follow, so I just made them by looking at the ones I saw. Since I first posted them on my blog, several people have e-mailed or left comments asking for directions, so I thought I would post how I made them to make it easier for anyone wanting to try these out this year. I wanted to make a photo tutorial, but I just don't know that I'm going to find the time before Valentine's Day, so here are some step-by-step directions.


Valentine Rolo Pencil Instructions

1. Cut a 3.5”x4.5” piece of yellow cardstock. Make score lines every 1/4 inch (the score lines should be parallel with the long side of the cardstock). Using pinking shears or decorative pinking scissors, cut a small strip off the short side of the cardstock. Wrap this piece around the Rolo’s, and use adhesive to hold together.

2. Cut a 3.5”x3/8” piece of pink cardstock. Wrap this around the top of the Rolo’s for the edge of the pink eraser. Trace the top of the Rolo’s on pink cardstock and cut out to get the top of your eraser. Stick this on top with adhesive.

3. Cut a 3.5”x3/8” piece of aluminum foil and adhere this around the seam where the yellow and pink cardstock meet. Use Glue Dots to adhere a Hershey’s Kiss to the bottom of the Rolo’s. This is the pencil point.

Feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment if you have any questions, and I'll try to answer them!

Update:  The heart I used is no longer available, but I created a similar one you can download in a new post. Click here.

new valentine releases

I have two new products out today... in plenty of time to use for Valentine's Day next month!

The first is a set of fun, printable valentines. There are four different designs, and each design comes in two different sizes... a smaller one that is 2.5"x3.5" (the perfect size for classroom valentines) and a bigger one that is 4.25"x5.5". I've included .pdf files that are ready-to-print, so it couldn't be easier. Just print out as many as you need and cut them apart! (The smaller ones come nine to a page and the bigger ones are four to a page.) I've also included individual .jpg files so they can be resized easily to whatever size you need.



Need envelopes? These are common sizes, so you can buy envelopes to fit them if you need a lot. Or, you can create your own envelopes using the templates I released last week. They are sized to fit these cards.



The second product I'm releasing today are these doilies. These can be used as digital masks or hybrid cutting files. If you want to use them on your digital pages, just clip your papers to the mask, add a drop shadow, and you have a cute doily for your page! For those of you who have digital cutting machines, I've included cutting files so you can easily cut what you need for your valentine projects!



These new products are 20% off this weekend, so go ahead and grab them and get a head start for Valentine's Day! :)

new stuff tomorrow!

I have two new products coming out tomorrow:



Plus, an exclusive freebie for my newsletter subscribers! It will be sent out sometime tomorrow, so make sure you sign up today! :)

quick gift

This is a great go-to gift we use for my son's tween-aged cousins and friends when we're either short on time or aren't sure what else to get. Most kids I know like candy and money! (You can see similar quick, go-to gifts here.)

Credits: Digital papers used for wrap and tag come from my Sociable paper pack. Ribbon is Offray, and scallop punch is Stampin' Up!

Just wrap a small stack of candy bars with a cute piece of patterned paper then with $1, $5, $10, ... (any amount!). Tie a ribbon, add a tag and you're good to go!

new products

I have some new envelope templates out today, and as an added bonus, they include cutting files! Envelope templates are fun to use when you want to customize your envelope to match your card. The first one is standard size and will fit a note card that is 4.25" x 5.5". The second one is for a smaller cards. It will fit cards around 2.5" x 3.5". Each of these templates still come with all the files you need to create your own custom envelope, print it out and assemble, but for those who have digital die-cutting machines, I've started adding .dxf, .svg, and .jpg files to my templates. These are on sale for 20% off this weekend!





For any of you that might have missed out on my newsletter freebie Contentment and printable hybrid bag, they are also now available in my shop. They are also 20% off this weekend. Make sure you sign up for my newsletter over on the right to get exclusive subscriber savings and freebies like this one!

project completion

I have been wanting to find a way to organize my daughter's bows and flower clips. I'd seen a variety of options, but finally settled on making one out of a frame with ribbon and fabric as the background. After a little looking around, I ended up using this tutorial here. I actually made this back in September, but just came across the photo. It was really simple to make... didn't take long at all. I ended up going with neutral-colored ribbon and fabric because I knew all the bows and flowers would add a lot of color. It works perfectly. We hung it up on the back of the bathroom door, and it really has made our mornings easier! One more fun project crossed off my ever-growing list! :)