cas-ual fridays 113 - thanks so very much

This is my first time participating in a CAS-ual Fridays challenge.  In this week's challenge, we had to use kraft and text, so I kept it super simple and made this.

I used a minimal amount of glue to adhere the leaves to the card base because I wanted some parts of the leaves to curl up from the paper, thereby mimicking real fallen leaves...as seen here:)

It's difficult to see, but there is glitter brushed on to the sentiment.

This card was made for my friend, Marjorie, who over the years has been encouraging me to turn my baking hobby into a baking business.  She has been so supportive that along making her this card I baked her this cake -- a lemon olive oil cake.

Marjorie actually texted me a picture of an olive oil cake one day, and it looked so delicious that I found a recipe, pinned it, and then tried it out.    Luckily, this cake for Marj turned out well - very light and spongy with a little kick of lemon.  I served it with peaches poached in red wine, and whipped/sweetened mascarpone.

Thank you, Marjorie, for having confidence in me and for encouraging me to share what I do with others.  Much love.

Card Supplies:

Stamps: Limited edition stamp set provided by Damask Love Live 

Inks: Hero Arts (butter bar, cup o' joe)

Die: Memory Box Berkshire Leaf Outine

Other: Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush (clear) 

monday mood board #19 - thank you

I just sent my sister a text message accompanying the following picture that simply read, "You need this stamp set."  Yes, need.



I love and use WPlus9's Fresh Cut Florals so much for the versatility and endless combos.  This card was made for WPlus9's Monday Mood Board Challenge.  The mood board can be seen here.

I was drawn to the colors and the burlap ribbon, which inspired me to pull out this cute little paper pad that I purchased when I was home in California.  It had some burlap patterned paper that I especially liked.

My friend, Jane, was on my mind when I made this card.  Before she went on vacation to Cali, she offered up her weekly veggie and fruit shares through her local CSA (community supported agriculture).  Free fruit and veggies?!  Um, yes please!  This is what I picked up last week.

It was clearly too much produce for me to get through alone, so I divided it up and shared it with 4 other friends.  Community, indeed.  Thank you, Jane, for your generosity.  From all of this, I made sangria (with the plums), salsa, vegetarian lumpia, and more salsa:)

Card Supplies:
Stamps: WPlus9 Fresh Cut Florals
Dies: WPlus9 Milk & Cookies
Inks: Hero Arts (bubble gum, cup o' joe, green hills); Stampin' Up (melon mambo, regal rose, rose red)
Other: patterned paper

runway inspired challenge #42

It's my first time participating in the Runway Inspired Challenge, and I already have a feeling that this will quickly become one of my favorite challenges.  Not that I know much about  fashion or anything, but I really enjoy the different color schemes and patterns that serve as our inspiration.

For the current challenge, I made this card...



using this wonderful dress from the Peter Pilotto Resort collection as my inspiration.



I wish I could wear something like this!!!  I tried to match the colors from the dress.  For the design, I actually tried to mimic the tiles from a kitchen back-splash that caught my eye the other day.

It's a bit hard to see, but I used glossy accents to make the little punched out squares actually look like tiles.  I also brushed on some glitter to some of the tiles.  (It looks better in real life, I swear!)

This card is dedicated to a friend that I've known for 20 years.  He's one of the smartest, most ambitious, and accomplished people I know.  We met up for dinner last night and talked for hours about family, work, and living life with no regrets.  Thank you, Ray, for the catch up time.

Supplies:

Stamp: WPlus9 Fresh Cut Florals

Inks: Memento (tuxedo black); Tim Holtz (broken china, faded jeans, spiced marmalade, wild honey)

Other: Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush (clear); glossy accents

10 minute craft dash #24 - part 2

This is my second and final submission to this week's 10 Minute Dash Challenge hosted by Pretty Pink Posh.  I used the rose, light orange, and cornflower blue color palette to create this card, which was completed in 9 minutes and 38 seconds.

I actually do think that french macarons are too sweet, and I think the sentiment works well with the little sugary cookies.

This card is dedicated to my best friend, Hervay, who has helped me so much with my baking gigs.  I am pretty confident with making simple cupcakes and cookies, but very often I get requests for items that require a lot of patience to make/bake...which I don't have.

Hervay helped me to make 300 cakepops for a wedding, a beautifully frosted three-layer cake (I can never get the layers even!), and most recently a bunch of doggies with mustaches and tiaras, made out of fondant.  Neither of us knew how to make or work with fondant, so we learned together.  And, thank goodness Hervay was around to help.  I know I couldn't have pulled this off without him.

Here they are!!!

Not bad for our first try.

All packed up and ready for the party...

Thank you, Hervay, for being a rockstar.  We make a great pair.  And, if the card isn't enough of a hint, it's time that we learn how to make macarons...

Thank you to Pretty Pink Posh for another fun challenge!

Supplies:

Stamps: Avery Elle Bonjour; stamp set from Damask Love Live

Inks: Memento (tuxedo black); Stampin' Up (baja breeze, pumpkin pie, regal rose)

10 minute craft dash #24

My nephew, Kainoa, starts his first day of college tomorrow and I couldn't be a prouder auntie.  He is an aspiring baker/restaurateur and is holding down a part-time job at a bakery while attending classes.  Such a good kid...ahem, I mean young adult.  Clearly, I'm in denial that my nephew has grown up.

I'm submitting this card I made for him as part of the 10 Minute Craft Dash hosted by Pretty Pink Posh.  I finished in 7 minutes and 24 seconds.

Yup, I do think my nephew is awesome like milk and cookies.  Here he is on his graduation day, wearing the money lei that I made for him.

               

So proud of you, Kainoa!!!  Thanks again for the great challenge, Pretty Pink Posh!

Supplies:

Stamps: WPlus9 Milk & Cookies; stamp set received from Damask Love Live 

Inks: Brilliance (moonlight white); Hero Arts (bubble gum, pool); Memento (tuxedo black); Stampin' Up (pumpkin pie)

Dies: WPlus 9 Milk & Cookies

mama elephant photo inspiration - the best is yet to come

This is my third entry into Mama Elephant's Photo Inspiration Challenge, where I used this photo as inspiration...


to create this card:



This card if for my friend, Cynthia.  We went to undgrad together in California, grad school together in NYC, and now live just a few blocks down from each other in Brooklyn.  She's hella dope.



Cynthia made a joke about having to grow up now that she's approaching 40, so I tried to make the card look like a living room for a sophisticated, professional, grown up type of person.



Sadly, I had to work on Cyn's birthday and missed her picnic in the park, but my housemate was kind enough to deliver some cupcakes I made for her.

Happy birthday, dear Cyn!  I know you're going to finish off your 30s with style and fun, and I know you're always going to stay young at heart.  I mean look at you...you look like you're still in your 20s! Love you!

Supplies:
Stamps: Mama Elephant Central Park, Midnight Letters, Starry Night, Type It, Up and Away; Papertrey Ink On my Couch
Dies: Papertrey Ink On my Couch
Inks: Memento (tuxedo black); Hero Arts (bubble gum, butter bar), Copic markers
Other: patterned paper

10 minute crash dash - birthday theme part 2

My hair smells like sugar.

I just baked 6 dozen cupcakes and a birthday cake for a 2 year old's birthday party.  Her name is Rio...and she dances on the sand:)

The theme of the party: Sesame Street.  One of the many cupcakes with a Sesame Street sign cupcake topper...



More cupcake toppers...



Some chocolate cupcakes.  I also made vanilla and red velvet...all from scratch.



To accompany the sweets, I made Rio a birthday card by playing along in the 10 Minute Craft Dash (Birthday Theme) challenge hosted by Pretty Pink Posh.  Since I didn't have stamps of Sesame Street characters, I just stayed consistent with the primary colors that I used in the cupcake toppers.



It may not be Elmo or Cookie Monster, but who doesn't love a dog with balloons?



I finished the card in 8 minutes and 12 seconds.  It's definitely not my best piece of work...I think I need to just learn my lesson and not use watercolors for 10 minute challenges, and I need to learn to control myself on washi tape use. Still learning and I'm having fun doing so:)

Happy birthday, dear Rio!  Hope you enjoy the sweets.  And, happy birthday to the 10 Minute Craft Dash!



Supplies:
Stamps: Tiddly Inks Flying High; Lawn Fawn Smitty's ABCs
Inks: Memento (tuxedo black); Crayola water colors
Other: washi tape

10 minute craft dash - birthday theme

This is my first time participating in the 10 Minute Craft Dash challenge hosted by Pretty Pink Posh...officially anyway.  I find myself constantly trying to rush and finish up a birthday card just before I have to leave for a birthday party, so I'm all too familiar with the dashiness aspect of this challenge:)

For the birthday-themed challenge, I created this with just 8 seconds to spare!!!

I made several mistakes in my process...should have made a one layer card on water color paper so that I wouldn't have to spend so much time cutting out the pink bunny.  I should have also done all the water coloring first so that it would have time to dry while I was doing other things (e.g., washi tape, stamping the sentiment).  I'm still learning...it's all good:)

I actually used my oven timer for this challenge, as I had just rotated some banana pineapple (aka Hummingbird cake) cupcakes in the oven and needed to bake them for an additional 10 minutes.  And for some cute points, I topped those cupcakes with pink and yellow sprinkles to match the card.

A special birthday shout-out to my co-worker, Sammy, the birthday girl.  She is an amazing team player and a loving mother.  Don't let the smile fool you though; she is one tough cookie.  Strong, confident, and always taking care of people she loves.  Happy birthday to you!!!

Here's how it went down when I handed Sammy her gift:
Sammy: (looking in the bag) You got me cupcakes?!?!
Me: No, I baked those for you.
Sammy: Awwwwww! (picking up the card) You got me a card, too?!?!
Me: No, I made you that card.
Sammy: Awwwwww!  I'm Instagramming this right now.

Ha! Love the effect that handmade/homemade gifts can make on someone.

And, happy 1st birthday to the Pretty Pink Posh's 10 Minute Craft Dash.  Cheers!!!

Supplies: Happy Birthday Sammy card
Stamps: Mama Elephant (midnight letters, starry night, up and away)
Inks: Memento (tuxedo black); Crayola washable watercolors
Other: washi tape

Recipe: Hummingbird Cupcakes
http://www.oprah.com/food/Art-Smiths-Hummingbird-Cake

mama elephant photo inspiration - xoxo

I have always been a late bloomer and a late adapter.  I think I was still using a pager years after my friends had moved on to cell phones.  In the papercrafting world, I'll see a trend and it won't sink into my head until much later...like washi tape.  Have to admit, I didn't get it at first.  It's just pretty tape.  Then I bought a few rolls, and didn't even want to part with it.  It's just too pretty.

For my second entry into Mama Elephant's Photo Inspiration Challenge, I parted with some pretty washi tape and used the photo here...


to make this simple card.

             

Did a bit of masking for the xoxo sentiment...

And sliced a slit in the typewriter to tuck the paper in.  And there you have it.

So, now that I totally get why washi tape is special, I will only use it for very special cards.  This card is for my friend, Marlo, one of my dearest friends from high school.  We recently reconnected at our 20 year high school reunion, and I'm having lunch with her today to catch up even more.  Facebook is great to stay in contact with folks, but nothing beats one-on-one time and a real hug.

Supplies:
Stamps: Mama Elephant Midnight Letters; Type It
Inks: Stampin' Up (rose red, so saffron); Memento (tuxedo black)
Other: washi tape, patterned paper