Carmen and Jack

Who says that Halloween is just for kids? Scott and I decided to get in on the fun this year and attended a superb party on Friday dressed as Carmen Miranda and Captain Jack Sparrow. I'm fairly certain that this was both the first *and* last time that Scott wore more eye makeup than I did!!

Initial Reaction

It's challenge day at Caardvarks! Create a *NEW* card with a monogram and link it to us the comments section at 'Varks by November 3rd at Midnight. We'll be happy to upload your creations but please keep in mind that only new items will be considered for the prize. The Caardvarks Crew will choose the winning entry and the creator will receive a Cosmo Cricket Crafting Kit along with a Cosmo Blackboard Memory Box!

I created the card above using my Cricut (Opposites Attract cartridge), some wire and a fun Studio G stamp. What could be easier? Details for this card are here.

Cards Magazine - August 2008

Today I'm just catching up with sharing a recent publication with you. This card was published in the August 2008 issue of Cards magazine. It was a card that I made on a crop weekend with some dear friends. I just love how this magazine photographs the projects they publish - it only enhances the overall design in my opinion. Click the image for a closer peek. Thanks for looking. ♥

I'm in Great Shape!

Well, ok, maybe I'm not in *that* great of shape...but I am a proud new member of the Say It With Letters design team! ☺ I have been fortunate enough to work with letters and shapes from Deb Damboise several times this year, and now I'll be getting my monthly fix of her products. Special congrats to Julie Masse and Heather Simpson-Bluhm who are joining the team with me for this term. We have some very talented designers to keep up with! Stay tuned for my first project coming soon!

Octoberville

Well, this is it! We are fully into the month of October which is my personal favorite of the entire year. If you have ever stood at the bus stop with me or walked through a pumpkin patch with my family, you know how I feel about blue skies, cooler temps, pumpkins and the smell of fall. I fully intend to build a dome over my property, climate control the entire thing, and charge admission to my own version of paradise, OCTOBERVILLE. Who's coming?

Well, until that happens, I'll have to take great pictures and scrap them to cherish these precious times. Here are the pictures we took of the boys at Potter's Bridge and Russell Farms, both located in Noblesville, IN.

Scor-It!

The Design Team members at Caardvarks were recently given the mini Scor-It tool to try for demo purposes. What a cool product! The mini is great for smaller projects and cards that require specific measurements. (Wendy, don't laugh at me!) The scoring tool itself comes on a chain to attach it directly to the board, which on my disaster of a desk is a total necessity!

I created the treat box above with a single sheet of patterned paper, some eyelets and ribbon through the top, and a clear bag that holds the treat inside. I was thinking that it would make either a fun gift for an expecting mom (spa gift card, chocolates, baby sitting coupons!) or even a baby shower favor for guests.

I tried using the mini Scor-It board for more of a design purpose on my Halloween card. I embossed lines in a web-like pattern on Coredinations cardstock and sanded away the black surface. On another attempt I might get better at lining up my web lines. Clearly mother nature has me beaten at this skill!

This envelope required a bit more engineering, but the Scor-It mini made it very easy! I used one sheet of double-sided Reminisce paper for the entire thing. I trimmed an 8 x 12 inch piece and created the main folds for the outside of the folder. The remaining 4 x 12 piece was cut into two 4 x 6 pieces, and accordian folds were added using the Scor-It mini. When I added the accordian folds to the sides of the folder I turned the paper around to see the pattern on the back. You can just as easily keep all the patterns together when assembling...your choice! A fun pom pom trim and two velcro dot closures were the finishing touches for this project.

I also created cards for inside the envelope with a Scor-It embossed, inked and stamped border.

My final Scor-It project also used the embossing and sanding technique. This Cosmo Cricket Cogsmo paper already has distressing on it, so adding real sanding fit right in! The mini Scor-It makes even spacing a snap for this embossed and sanded border.

A very big thank you goes out to HAMMONDSgroup, Inc. for their generous donation of tools for the team. Be sure to check out the Scor-It Gallery at Caardvarks for all the amazing projects created by our designers. The Scor-It website also has a project gallery, downloadable PDF instruction files and video webisodes to help you get started. Check it out!

And if you're up for a challenge, use scoring of some kind of any type of papercrafting project and link back to this Caardvarks post by midnight on October 18th to be eligible to win a Scor-It mini of your very own! ☺

World Cardmaking Day

Happy World Cardmaking Day! Check out all the challenges being offered at Scrapbook Express in honor of today. See you there!