Krazy for Kaleidacolor Kards

I have a few Birthdays coming up, so I made some colorful cards (during my scrapbooking marathon). I have wanted to use the Kaleidacolor Pad with this stamp since it came out in the Angel Company Catalog. I do however have to mention this stamp is called Partridge...whatever...it looks like a peacock so that is what I consider it!

Finally I earned this hostess set and was so excited to finally put ink to stamp! This card has alot of wow factor but not too much work. I used the Spectrum Kaleidacolor Pad and one stamp...easy peasy. I then did the same thing with the sentiment from the TAC Swirly Sayings.

One little Kaleidacolor tip...when inking the stamp, move it slightly side to side to completely ink it otherwise you get edges and sometimes white space between each color. Yes it muddies your pad a bit but well all in the name of art.

The card bases are this gorgeous 110lb cardstock that I scored when my local paper store went out of business. I got a REAM of cardstock for $15 A REAM...Yes I was doing the happy dance that day.

Fun and Friendship

Well it was another Fun, and Furious Crafting weekend...I attended by 2nd All Night Scrap...but I was MUCH smarter this time...I went home to bed early then came back refreshed and worked all day.

Now THEY (the wonderful ladies that invited me) scrapbook...I'm working up the nerve to actually do a 12X12 page...but in the meantime I craft alot.

So the tally for this session...

8 BD invites (2 are pop-ups)
2 Birthday Cards
1 Musical Notes Card
4 Popsicle Cards
2 Wedding/Anniversary Cards
2 Sets of Paper Jewelry

I also got a crack at the Cricut and I REALLY, REALLY want one...but they are REALLY, REALLY expensive (cuz of course I want a bunch of cartridges...LOL).

Here is a little tease...something you've seen before, but didn't they come out beautiful?

Wine Bottle Hanger...works like a charm!

We went to a good ole Memorial Day party...and the hostess had everything covered. But being Italian...I can't walk in empty handed...I just can't!!! So we of course brought wine...and well wine is boring...so I made a little Wine Bottle Hanger. Can I just say these are the coolest things!!!

They are very quick to 'throw' together...an added bonus for me (because being the slowest stamper in the universe this project took me 3 days). Typically stampers put candy/chocolate in the little pouch, I put in 3X3 cards and handmade envelopes. Because the main image was popped up it only fit two...but that was okay. The hostess' tween girls went nuts for them...so I felt appreciated. I might just make a few for the girls. And I got a little promotion as MY daughter upon seeing the empty hanger on the table announced to the whole party..."My MOM made this!" Thank God she is 3 and adorable!

The base of the hanger was some Paper Company cardstock from Michaels...usually I like heavier cardstock, but in this case (and with the layering) the thinner cardstock actually works better...especially for embossing! So the base was turquoise, I used a piece of DCWV Stack 3 turquoise, yellow, green dots paper, then a turquoise square embossed with the Cuttlebug Textile Embossing Folder, a white (Mega Pink Marvy Punch) scallop circle, a turquoise (Super Blue Marvy Punch) scallop circle of DCWV striped paper...with each scallop bump punched with a 1/8" punch. Layered on top of that is a 1.5" circle embossed with Cuttlebug Playful Circles and finally a Punched Daisy with a silver brad. I came up with this layout after the 3X3 cards...but liked it better than the monogram I did do.


The 3X3 cards are very simple and straightforward. I embossed a strip of turquoise cardstock with the Cuttlebug Textile. I dug out my 1/16" hole punch and used that on the Scallop Circle...I think it is a much better look and more forgiving to uneven punching (LOL). Finally the Cuttlebug Embossed Playful Circles was embossed and the "L" monogram was stamped with TAC Ancient Alphabet in Palette Noir. I forgot to mention I highlighted the embossing on the circle with turquoise glitter chalk...but of course that doesn't show up in the picture. I even made matching handmade envelopes click here to find out how to make your own.

Thanks for looking...and reading my diatribe! I hope it was clear....probably not!

Do you Stamp or Stalk?

Someone posed the question on SCS...are you a Stamper or a Stalker? I was like what??? Then I read the details and realized...I'm more of a Stalker. When I first started stamping I was obsessed I sat down most days and tried to do a card...a project something. In those early days I did a decent job but realized I could do BETTER...so I started browsing and learning...and that evolved into stalking.

How do you know you are a Stalker?
1. You have more favorites saved than cards uploaded.
2. You save a bunch of different projects in various formats...can't find the one you want...or realize you have 5 of the same thing, named differently.
3. Do you have unmounted stamps, unopened embellishments...but see a project on SCS and HAVE to have that 'something' too! (I think we all have a little of this).
4. Do you wake up each morning grab your coffee (tea, water...whatever your poison)...and walk PAST your stamping table to get to your computer to SEE what everyone else has done on their blog for today.
5. Has your MUST READ blog list gone from 10 to 20?
...and I'm sure there are more, but I'm going to stop now and go make a darn card!

So what makes you a stalker!

And a hearty thanks to everyone out there that lets me Stalk them! Kudos for some awe inspiring blogs.
Taylored Expressions
Dawns Stamping Thoughts
Stamps, Paper, Scissors
Chic n' Scratch
Paper Rose Studio
Impressions (Rochelle is doing a huge blog giveaway...hurry over there to enter)
Mish Mash
JoAnna's Creative Expressions
Stamping Dani (in Italian...which I speak/read...but with excellent translations)
Paula Ponders
{capture the moment} This is hands down one of my favorite blogs...I mean her creations are incredible and trend setting!!!
Creative Corner

It's All About the Girl" Earrings

I designed this set for a little girl that just had her ears pierced. Do you remember that first girly girl moment in life...the anticipation and touch of fear getting your ears pierced? Staring at yourself in the mirror cuz you just felt so beautiful and feminine. And waiting until you could take out the boring posts and FINALLY get that first pair of dangly earrings.

It was all soo important! As only things can be to children. A friend asked me to make her daughter a fun set of danglies for her daughter. What started out as a desire to give her a selection of cute adorable 'danglies' turned into a interchangeable set! She was thrilled with her set as any tween would be!!

One thing I found out while looking for cute charms...is the current style is for seriously LARGE ugly metal charms (for bracelets)...it was quite the challenge to find something fun for a little girl...that definitely hasn't started the 'diva' phase yet.

Fiskars ROCKS!

A few months ago I saw a blog post on Joanna's Creative Expressions (check her out she makes such thoughtful gifts...and they are pretty too!) all about how she joined the Fiskateers and they sent her very own pair of engraved scissors! Cool I thought, I joined...and they have ton of fun people...they even sent a group of Fiskateers on a paid conference...Yippee!!


Well time went by, didn't receive my scissors so I thought well, no biggy it was worth it just to find out about the site...so I totally forgot about the scissors...and...well they arrived on my doorstep yesterday and are seriously cool.

I am totally guarding them...if the husband or kids touch them to cut a box or something BAD apart I will just kill them. Really I'm not a violent person, but I LOVE my scissors (and my good knives). I actually hide my REALLY good knife so that no one is even tempted to open a plastic bag with it!!

Anyway, it'll take about 5 months to come in (maybe less if you are lucky)...but for free...waiting isn't a big deal!

So, go check them out HERE!

Didn't have lemons...

...to make into lemonade, but I had paper scraps from my prior project and the flower is born!

I haven't had alot of time to talk about what I've been making...but I do want to share it! Check out my other projects to see the materials as recently I've been using up one sheet at a time!




I didn't put sentiments on these cards because I'm not sure what I will use them for...so I decided to wait.

Nugget Tin

Well I am alive and well...I guess the accident curse HAS been broken. Well at least I hope it is. So this is another adorable item I made...during my down time. I am pretty hooked on these origami flowers! They are so much fun and something I can do in front of the TV.





So I made this tin using a wonderful pad of My Mind's Eye Paper, Wild Asparagus Collection. I have a HUGE stack of this (thank god) and with my little paper fetish I hope I may never get through the WHOLE stack.


I know it gets a little boring seeing the same colors and style. But I'll share a little secret...with you...I try to use up the paper that I start. I used to try and 'file' the scraps but found that was taking longer to do than just using them up! So I make the major items...then find uses for the progressively smaller scraps. The smallest scraps are used in my paper bead bracelets and I've even started using my punches to punch away...then store each shape in a box ready for accenting!


Here is another picture with the tin open.

Again these tins are just simple and fun to make! And paired with a card...or perhaps a piece of jewelry they make an even nicer gift! One of the things that makes blog reading so much fun for me are the ideas everyone comes up with and how they gift their items. I try to be a thoughtful person but often I am stumped as to what would be appropriate to give or embarrassed if I hand some one something. Especially if it isn't their style. And I really do believe in Random Acts of Kindness...one of my favorite memories was sitting in the Milan train station waiting for my train to Parma when a gorgeous Italian guy comes up, says 'Ciao Bella' and hands me a flower! Well it was like 15 years ago and that memory STILL makes me smile!

More Drama...

Okay if you don't hear from me for a while...well I might be dead. This past weekend, the sprained foot gave way and I fell down a flight of stairs so now I have a bruised tail bone...which of course I can't do anything about! So now sitting IS hard...but I have managed to get a few things done!

Here is a little teaser...

Thanks for looking and hoping this is the end of my mishaps!

So my little drama...

I have recently gotten into geocaching and it is a spectacular way to get in shape...hiking while treasure hunting definitely fun! However as I was coming out of the forest I tripped on a root...and badly sprained my foot.

Initially I thought I had broken my foot but now I am reduced to hobbling around with a cane...and let me tell you toddlers...KNOW you can't get them! But I am on the mend and should be right as rain...and I was able to craft a bit more this week as no one expected me to move much...hee, hee.

So despite my injury if you are looking to get outdoors this spring and enjoy the sunshine...check out geocaching.

More Origami...now its in a tin

I really like making coordinating things. I'm really not sure why, but a whole bunch of matching things soothes me...and it is easier to just work with the same paper until it is all used up rather than filing the scraps (or feeling guilty for throwing them out!!).

Anyway, I made another scrapbook in a tin...and reduced the origami flower to tiny. Easy to do, my trick for folding the flower is to make the first half hold (easy) then without opening it fold it in half again...this way you don't have to strain your eyes to see where you made the first crease. Then my second tip to make the 2nd fold (those edges are REALLY hard to see...or perhaps I need new glasses). Well I rarely have a straight edge...so instead of searching for another half hour...I use what is on hand...fingers. I place a finger nail edge on each corner and fold against them to start the fold. Then remove and fold crisply.

Well anyway, I hope you enjoyed my entirely cerebral instructions...I will try and take pictures (one handed of course)...of what I am talking about and post them later this week. Here is a close-up of the folded flower...3 petals (I prefer this flower to the full blown option).

Thanks for looking...and tomorrow I will have a story to tell you...on the good hand I will have plenty of time to craft!

Another Hat...this one for Graduation

Here is another adorable thing to do with Nuggets! Isn't it precious! I plan to make these for my son's preschool graduation! I think they are just adorable.

The key is to use the brad to secure the black cardstock square and ribbon...then use a strong adhesive to glue the overlapping ends around the chocolate nugget!

My favorite adhesive is the Scotch Quick-Dry adhesive...it is super strong and as the name says quick to dry...it adheres paper to paper in seconds!

Origami Flowers Oh My

I decided to play around with some paper folding this weekend. I saw some really cute flowers made out of folded circles so decided I would give it a go...I got a going and just couldn't stop. These flowers are just SO much fun to make!

The first project was a card...using the folded flowers. I took the blue cardstock and sponged around the edges using Palette Starry Night ink, then I took a scrap of green cardstock and cut down the 1/2" strip to make grass (I wish our lawn looked this good). The flower was actually pretty easy to make, but of course folding all the little circles was time consuming and then I decided I didn't like the white edges against the pink polka dot paper...so I sponged Palette Belle Rose on each exposed edge to add depth. The pink polka dot paper is from DCWV Stack 5. Then came the fun assembly...I gathered 3 petals and glued them together using a third green petal (made out of a slightly smaller plain circle). I then glued the whole shebang onto the blue cardstock and handstamped "Happy Mother's Day" with Palette Noir ink using my trusty TAC Trendy Greetings. Then I made another one!



Now I couldn't stop right there...I needed a pretty gift to GIVE along with my card. So I whipped up some nuggets in DCWV grass paper and the same polka dot paper. The belly band was made out of the same pastel blue but the flower was made using smaller plain (cuz I don't have a smaller scallop circle punch) to fit on the belly band.

Now all I need to do is gather up all the scraps and make a paper bracelet, earrings or a necklace! Yay!

Mother's Day Weekend

I am soo completely proud of myself. Like always...a holiday is creeping up and I have NOTHING done. But I saw some really inspiring things this week...and well thanks to them was SUPER productive.


The first thing that inspired me is Wanda over at My Creative Corner she is just super talented...and tends to do REALLY fun projects. So run over there check her out...and then perhaps come back. I do have a lot to show you...


Well Wanda had these Weekend Project Tutorials...I couldn't help but try them out. The first one I tried was the Nugget Ladies Luncheon Hat. It is completely adorable. A lot of punching but well that is TV time busy work...

I did an okay job with my CM punch (1.25") and the 1/2" punch I had...but looking a little closer at Wanda's if I try this again...I will punch more circles and definitely add the paper strip band around the base. I do like my little paper flower with 1/8" punched circle in the middle though.

I hope to make a few more of these to surprise my mom with for a Tea I am going to have here in the Near future! I think it would make the perfect little place setting...perhaps with the name printed on the top.

What else did I accomplish?

Graduation Nuggets

Dahlia Fold Mother's Day Card and Matching Nugget Tin

Coaster Sticky Note Pad and Clip
...and the weekend isn't quite finished...who knows what I might get to tonight!

Congrats Grad!!

Here are a couple of classic elegant graduation cards...monochromatic, ready to grad to send out when all those kids start graduating. I always seem to be caught out with no cards for this particular occasion so I'm happy I'm ahead of the game this year!

You probaby won't believe it but...these adorable images are from the All Night Media $1 stamps bin! I didn't have an grad stamps so I bought these...and they work reasonably well...as long as you don't over ink or press down too hard!

The sentiment is from the TAC Tag Tidbits and is a very versative set of 36 sayings for get this...$10.95!!

Paper Bead Necklaces!!!

Well like all good things they started out as something else and evolved into the final product. As you know, I was down in Florida surrounded by grandmother's and grandfather's...including my parents. I brought a variety of things to do...and pretty much made bracelets the whole time...well my mom spotted the Little Bit of Luck Bracelet and loved it...except she wanted it as an eyeglass holder. So I bought some eyeglass holder ends (not from my normal store...it was hard to find craft stores where we were)...and they turned out to be useless!!! I mean what is the point if they LET the glasses fall on the floor. I was steamed...but then looked at the long length of beads and was like...duh necklace.

The only change I made was to use shorter paper beads (like the bracelet size) around the base and a larger 6mm bicone bead in the center to act like an accent. Tip to anyone making jewelry...USE easy to open findings...this one is a large lobster claw type...recommended by my mom as plenty of ladies have to put these things on themselves...even if they DO have husbands!

Another thing I did while I was there was walk on the beach...where we were it is famous for shells and prehistoric sharks teeth. Every morning you see the 'regulars' combing the beach (literally) for these sharks teeth and shells. The past few years we have collected several. My son is a bit like St. Anthony or something in that he can find anything...once we showed him what we were looking for he found them every few feet. Although the largest tooth he found he gave to a lady we met one day while walking. She was so frustrated because she had been looking for a week and hadn't found any and was leaving the next day (I think like many of the 60+ crowd they have a little trouble seeing them). I was really proud of how thoughtful he was (he is only 4) when he handed over cache of the day.

The best day was when he almost killed my mother...she wasn't feeling too well so decided she would take a slow walk on the beach with my son...figuring he wouldn't go fast (a slug could beat him walking) or far (big mistake)...he walks slow but can walk all day long...and so he took her on a 2 mile trek in deep sand to see the painted houses! Quote of the day "Just a bit more nana"

Oh where, oh where am I?

Just in cast you are wondering...most of your probably didn't even notice...but I am on vaction! I am being a VERY young snowbird! Since my son was born we have spent some time in FL with his grandparents...now it has become quite the tradition. That and well, he hates the cold...he was ready to leave a week ahead of when we had our apartment!!!

Anyway, I have been working hard...have been making jewelry (the most portable craft...although I never seem to have the right beads...and of course need to go buy more!!!)...and collecting shells. I would like to incoporate a few shells into the work but haven't quite figured that out yet.

I do plan to post quite a bit when I get home! I miss blogging...and reading them most of all...here I am limited to 30 minutes on the library computer...but thankful for that!!!

Still More Cards!!! Have you won yet?

It is the Final countdown and EtsyGreetings will be featuring giveaways EVERY Day, so go here everyday and leave a comment!!!

CONTEST #8 (which is MY lucky number!)

PRIZE DRAWING Wednesday, February 13th 8p.m. EtsyTime (EST)

THE PRIZE:
The prize is 8 items
Christmas/Holiday Card
Christmas/Holiday Card
Any Occasion/Animal Card
Thank You Card
Any Occasion/Flower Card
Any Occasion 2 pk
Any Occasion/Friendship

More Free Cards!!

It is the Final countdown and EtsyGreetings will be featuring giveaways EVERY Day, so go here everyday and leave a comment!!!

CONTEST #7

PRIZE DRAWING Tuesday, February 12th 8p.m. EtsyTime (EST)

THE PRIZE:
The prize is 8 items
Friendship Card
Love/Flower Card
Snowman Card
Any Occasion/Americana Card
Any Occasion/Animals Card 4 pk

Been Creating...Not Posting

Things have been a whirlwind here in LisaTown. Thanks for being loyal...I really appreciate it! I HAVE been making things but just haven't had time to post. Why? You ask...well...


I am running that EtsyGreetings Contest...and due to that (and good karma) I have been making a number of sales in my shop....so packing (customizing) and shipping orders. And then because I always feel like I'm not doing enough I decided to give the push to get the EtsyCrest Blog off the ground...LOL.


Oh yeah and I'm leaving for vacation in like 3 days and haven't even started packing...how about them apples. So what have I been making...let' see. Gifts, lots of gifts...I'm still behind from Christmas!


Here are a few bracelets I 'threw' together this morning. I didn't plan on it until after they were finished, I basically was using up scraps around the table (cuz my craft area needs to be neat before I go...well neater)...but they could be used for the next three holidays: Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day and Easter!!!





I've also finally got a reasonable set-up to take pictures in natural light!! Unfortunately once I redo that room the piece of furniture by the window is gone...but I'll take it for now. What do you think of my new picture style?


Some of you may recognize this box from this post. Well the candy has long ago been eaten and the gorgeous box was just hanging around...what a wonderful Gift Box I thought! So this is my own personal form of upcycling! And the colors match perfectly! I'll stuff the box with a bit of pale pink tissue and lay the bracelet out...ready for the recipient to open!