Thursday, December 31, 2009

*vintage lovebirds*

I'm popping in to share a card I made for some friends who are celebrating their 17th anniversary tomorrow. I hope they like it.
I wanted to thank all of you who left such sweet comments for Livi's snowman. She was so excited! Thanks for making her day! Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

*vintage butterflies*

I love butterflies. They add such a delicate and feminine element. The smaller butterflies were made with a Martha Stewart punch. The brown butterfly was punched from a piece of cardstock that had first been embossed in my Cuttlebug. That made it a bit more interesting and gave it some texture as well. I didn't do much to the pink butterfly except for sponge the edges with some distress ink. The larger green butterfly was made with a Sizzix embosslit. It's cool because it cuts and embosses at the same time. Then I sanded it to make the swirls from the embossing stand out a little more. I used linen thread (I love that stuff!) to attach the tag and discovered that once the ends were snipped, the linen thread took on the look of the butterfly's antennae. I chose A Muse's sheer ribbon to dress up the card, and the way I tied it almost gives the appearance of another butterfly. Cool, eh?

So glad you stopped by! Have a beautiful day!


Sunday, December 20, 2009

Hannah's sign

This was such a fun card to make. I've had this punch for quite some time now and never used it. I was delighted to make it work for this design. It makes the perfect sign for sweet little Hannah Lollipop. Hope you're having a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

*Livi's snowman*

Here's the snowman I promised to share with you. My 6 year-old daughter, Livi made him out of socks, beans, string, buttons, and a toothpick. I think he's darling. He makes my heart happy. I will treasure him forever just because my sweet little girl made him just for me. Livi would *love* to know what you think. (((wink)))


Thursday, December 17, 2009

*Gracie*

I haven't made a tall card in a while, and come to think of it, I don't think I've ever made a monochromatic card before. I usually get bored with just one color and start adding others. Technically, this one might not exactly qualify either, but I say it's as close to monochromatic as I'm gonna get. Ok... enough of that.

Isn't little Gracie Lollipop fun? I just had to give her a vintage dress. She's awfully cute done up vintage, don't ya think?

Thanks for visiting The Polka Dot Cafe! Have a beautiful day!



Wednesday, December 16, 2009

*somebunny loves you*

I'm back today with another sweet Lollipop. Her name is Presley, and her bunny slippers are too cute! I'm not one for fancy corner punches, but I ran across this one the other day at JoAnn's, and I couldn't resist. Must be the scallops. Anyhoo... because I didn't plan this card out very well, I didn't have room to stamp the sentiment in its entirety, so I stamped it word by word on little tags. Most of the time when that happens, I end up pitching the whole idea and starting over. I hate it when that happens. I'm tickled when I'm able to salvage a card and make it work. This one's going to my little girl. She made a snowman out of socks and brought it home yesterday all wrapped up in a brown paper sack that she worked hard to decorate. It was so cute, and she was so proud of it. I'll have to post a picture of it.

Have a great day... and thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Ella Lollipop says *thank you*

My Stamping Bella package finally arrived yesterday, and I could hardly wait to ink up Ella Lollipop. I adore her polka dot dress and matching bow, and her skinny little legs just crack me up. She is total cuteness! I had enough kraft cardstock left over from yesterday for the card base, and seeing that my Stampin' Up goodies were still conveniently out on my desk, I decided to go shabby once again.

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by The Polka Dot Cafe!


Monday, December 14, 2009

*granny's wallpaper*

Here's another vintage creation. It reminds me of old wallpaper like you'd find in a sweet little grandma's house. I first stamped the flower image with antique linen distress ink. I picked some up at Michael's the other day, and it's quickly becoming one of my favorites. Then I stamped right over the top of it with a cream colored chalk ink. It was just the look I wanted... delightfully shabby and very Laura Ashley!
I'm expecting a Stamping Bella package today. I ordered some of those darling new Lollipop stamps, and I can't wait to get my hands on them! I'm sure the poor UPS man is swamped with deliveries, but the selfish side of me wishes he'd drop everything he's doing and bring me my package!

Friday, December 11, 2009

*shabby baby*

I'm a shabby girl at heart. It's the style I chose when I first started stamping over 6 years ago, and it's still my favorite. Everything about it makes my heart happy. It's so soft and inviting, and it makes me want to go back in time. This card features some of Stampin' Up's newest goodies, and they were just made for shabby.

The kids are back in school today, but it's still a bit cold here and they say we're in for freezing rain this weekend. I hope it's warm and cozy in your neck of the woods! Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

*in memory of Henry*

A few weeks ago, my sister lost her beloved black lab, Henry, to cancer. She rescued him, helped him get well, and took him into her home and into her heart. He was like one of the family. He was the sweetest dog, and we all miss him very much. I made her this card to let her know we share her sadness.

On a happier note, it's a snow day here. We're in the middle of a big blizzard that's hitting the midwest, and I'm content to stay home where it's warm and cozy. I was out scooping off the driveway this morning, when my neighbor from around the corner shows up with his heavy duty snow blower and insists on finishing it for me. How sweet was that! Looks like I've got another card to make!

Friday, November 20, 2009

*friends are flowers...*

Today I finally found a little time to try the brick wall technique that was featured in last week's Weekly Inkling. It's always fun to try something new, and although it was a bit time consuming, it was definitely worth it. Sure, it's not one of those techniques that lend themselves to mass production or quick cards, but it's certainly eye-catching and probably a bit addictive too. I dug out some beautiful stamps that have been sorely neglected, AND I was able to use some papers that have been hoarded away in my collection for way too long. This technique is perfect for a shabby and distressed look. Right up my alley!


Friday, November 6, 2009

*happy anniversary*

I love Basic Grey's Lemonade collection... which probably explains why I've hoarded it for so long. This particular pattern is my favorite. It has such an antique feel to it. I also adore these two chickens. They're designed by Anna Wight, who just happens to be another favorite of mine. For some reason, Farmer and Adell are one of my "go to" stamps for anniversary cards. Probably because they make such a cute couple and something about them says they've been happily married for so many years they've started to look alike. ;)


It's absolutely gorgeous here today, and it looks like we're in for a beautiful weekend. Hope it's beautiful and sunny in your neck of the woods!

Friday, October 30, 2009

*oh baby*

Here's a baby card I made for a friend who's expecting in February. I ran across some of the sweetest little baby outfits while shopping at Kohls the other day, and you can't give someone a gift without a card, right? I've been anxious to try making my own paper blossoms, and they are perfectly sweet for a baby girl card. I wanted mine to look a bit on the shabby side, so I sanded the edges, crumpled them up, and then I gave the whole card several spritzes of wheatfield glimmer mist. I love that stuff! It adds such an aged look with just a bit of sparkle.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Friday, October 16, 2009

*amuse-bouche* thanks

This chrysanthemum image is one of my favorites of the new release probably because it's so fun to watercolor. I've always loved the shabby look, so I gave my card a mix of shabby yet elegant. I wasn't sure I could pull off using gingham with the ever-so-elegant new petite damask shimmer couture papers, but the combination makes my heart quite happy, especially after I spritzed the gingham with a bit of pearl shimmer mist.

A Muse is giving away a complete set of the new wood mounted stamps, so be sure to hop on over to A Muse News for a chance to win!


Wednesday, October 14, 2009

*mahalo* amuse-bouche

It's amuse-bouche time again, and I'm a little late jumping in on the sneak peeks. I've had a sick kiddo, so I haven't had much time to stamp. The new A Muse release is beautifully elegant. The new shimmer couture papers are down right breathtaking, and I'm thrilled that we have pearls in gorgeous colors to match!

My card features the new robin's egg shimmer couture damask and lime shimmer couture papers along with the new *leaves trio* stamp, seafoam polka dot ribbon, and sky blue pearls.

The rest of the team has been hard at work creating lots of lovelies to showcase all the new A Muse goodies. Why not grab a cup of coffee and check them out? And be sure to stop by the A Muse blog for a chance to win an assortment of the new shimmer couture papers!

Friday, October 2, 2009

*a few owl cards*

Yesterday, my honey and I celebrated our 21st anniversary. I thought I'd share the card I made for him. That little snippet you see on the tag is a piece of A Muse's new *paprika* notecards. It reminds me of pumpkin pie. (I think about food too much.)

While I had my stamping stuff out, I thought I might as well whip out a few thank you cards. I made the moon using a circle punch and added a few A Muse twinkle stars. The ribbon I recycled from a shirt I bought a while back. It was stitched inside to make it easier to put on a hanger, but I hate those things 'cuz they always end up showing. The ribbon reminds me of pumpkin pie too. ;)


Thursday, September 24, 2009

*oh bother*

I've always loved a good mix and match of patterns and colors. It makes for such a fun, eclectic style. I have a rather large stack of 12x12 papers next to my stamping desk...papers that I've been meaning to use but that have ended up in my hoarded pile of *lovely to look ats*, as I like to call them. Here's a sweet little card I made using a few papers from that mountain sized pile and a few of my Classic Pooh images. Thanks for stopping by!
--------------------

Friday, September 18, 2009

*Classic Pooh* baby card

"Sometimes a cheering surprise just happens along." Isn't that sentiment perfectly sweet for a baby card? I recently started collecting Classic Pooh stamps. They're a bit hard to find, so my collection is pretty small. So far I've got Pooh at School, Letters from Pooh, Pooh Travels, and two different sets called Pooh-isms. I have no idea how many sets are out there, but I'm keeping my eye out for 'em!
------------------------
Notecard and gingham paper by A Muse. Rich cocoa Memento Ink. Classic Pooh stamps by All Night Media. BABY stamp by studio g. Pistachio ribbon by JoAnn's Craft Essentials. EK Success border punch. Stampin' Up blender pen, markers, linen thread, sanding block, and dimensionals. Clear spica glitter pen. Button by MME. Lime Ice Stickles.


Thursday, September 10, 2009

*Classic Pooh* teacher's card

I won an e-bay auction last week for a cute set of Classic Pooh stamps called Pooh at School. I bought them with every intention of giving them to my little girl, Livi, who loves to play school... but after stamping with them today, I think I might just keep them for myself!

Last month, A Muse released a new clear set called *school time*. I added the A+ and the row of abc's from that set to the front of the card. Then I decorated the inside with a sentiment and quote that is also from that set. I made this card for Livi's first grade teacher, Mrs. Kiddoo. I hope she likes it. Thanks for stopping by!
------------------------------
A Muse gingham cardstock and school time clear set. Pooh at School stamp set by All Night Media. Rich cocoa Memento Ink. Stampin' Up chocolate chip cardstock, punch, watercolor paper, blender pen, markers, dimensionals, and sanding block. Pistachio ribbon by JoAnn's Craft Essentials. Tattered Angels pearl glimmer mist.

Friday, September 4, 2009

*words to live by*

"You are what you eat, so eat something sweet!" Now that's my kind of thinkin'! I couldn't wait to pair up this sentiment with Mandy and her nine scoops of ice cream. She obviously thinks like me! Except her waist is a whole lot smaller than mine!
---------------------------
A Muse papers, images, sentiment, twinkle stickers, and ribbon. Rich cocoa Memento Ink. Stampin' Up punches, watercolor paper, blender pen, markers, sanding block, and dimensionals. Tattered Angels pearl glimmer mist.


Monday, August 31, 2009

*happy anniversary*

I'm having a hard time figuring out where the month of August has gone! Getting the kids ready to head back to school and settling back into the school year routine has left me little time for stamping.... but hopefully I'll be back in the swing of things soon.

I have a bin of wood mounted stamps next to my desk that's full of stamps I've collected here and there. Sadly, most of them have rarely seen ink. I decided to pull a few of them out storage and actually use them. Imagine that!

A big *HAPPY ANNIVERSARY* to my friend and fellow A Muse sistah, Michelle and her husband, Corey! Hope you have a wonderful day! ;)
------------------------------
A Muse natural and green gingham cardstocks. Rich cocoa Memento Ink. Background stamp by Savvy. Hot air balloon by Just Johanna's Odd Bird Planet. Sentiment by Melissa Frances. Butterfly, watercolor paper, blender pen, markers, chocolate chip cardstock, sanding block, and dimensionals by Stampin' Up. Pistachio grosgrain ribbon by JoAnn's Craft Essentials. Clear spica glitter pen. The Robin's Nest poinsetta dew drops.



Saturday, August 8, 2009

*owly anniversary*

Aren't these owls cute? I love their little heart shaped eyes. They're just perfect for an anniversary card. I've been eyeing this tree image and finally broke down and bought the Pendant Park set along with a few others from the new Stampin' Up catalog. I think the owls are pretty sweet perched up there in that tree, and A Muse's new woodgrain cardstock adds a nice warm and woodsy touch.
--------------------------------
A Muse woodgrain cardstock and tiny party hat. Melissa Frances "happy anniversary" sentiment. Stampin' Up Whoo's Your Valentine?, Pendant Park, and Look Who's Turning stamp sets, sanding block, linen thread, dimensionals, and kiwi kiss cardstock. Marvy punches. October Afternoon pink polka dot designer paper. Karen Foster snap stamps. Fiskars mini scalloped scissors. Tea leaves VersaMagic chalk ink.

Friday, August 7, 2009

*sparkles and sunshine*

I was planning on sharing a card I made yesterday with some new goodies I got recently, but it's stormy here today and my chances of getting a good photo aren't looking too good. So instead, I'm sharing yet another *Mandy* card that you might have seen over at the A Muse blog last week. I love bubble girl! She's another innocently sweet image from the new Mandy's World collection. She reminds me of my little girl, Livi, who loves blowing bubbles. It looks like it's going to be a quiet day around here. We don't have much planned, and I always enjoy days like this. Have a wonderful Friday... and be sure to sneak in a little stamping!
------------------------------
A Muse notecard, papers, ribbon, sentiment, and images. Canson watercolor paper. Stampin' Up sanding block, blender pen, and markers. Rich cocoa Memento ink.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

*more Mandy's World*

I'm back today with another card featuring Mandy's World. She's sweet and girly and so fun to watercolor! I'm absolutely smitten! It's been a while since I made a square card, so I thought I'd switch gears a little today and do something different. Change is good, right?
----------------------------
Amuse natural and palm papers, ribbon, twinkle stickers, images, and sentiment. Pink polk dot paper by October Afternoon (Ducks in a Row collection). Marvy punches. Stampin' Up watercolor paper, blender pen, markers, and sanding block. Tattered Angels pearl glimmer mist.