Thank You Card for My Sister

I have been blessed to be part of a very loving and close family. I am one of five daughters to great parents who are not only the best parents but fantastic role models. As I was working last week (I work from home full-time), I saw UPS pull up and was SO excited because I knew that my Gazelle was being delivered. But in addition to the Gazelle box was an even larger box. I wasn't sure what it was considering I am a bit obsessed with tracking shipments. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box that it was a beautiful "vintage dress form" that my sister, Pam, had purchased for my Diva Den. My Diva Den is a guest bedroom that I transformed last year into a room of JUST shoes, purses and jewelry. I will have to post a blog of my pictures of the room. Anyway, it was such an unexpected and thoughtful surprise and gift that I wanted to send Pam a personal thank you card. Just days before it arrived, I had purchased a dress form stamp so I knew my card would have to include the stamp.

Above is the front of the card. I used white note card 5"x6.5" and shiny pink paper (has a silver sheen to it) as the base. I just cut the paper 1/4" smaller all the way around so the white of the card would be as a frame. I wanted to emboss the card because she and I were recently discussing the new embossing tool (Big Shot) that I had purchased. I then used a slightly textured light grey paper to stamp the dress form and Thank You sentiment. I actually embossed both the dress form and sentiment using heat/powder embossing. The dress form is in silver while the Thank You is in purple. To pull the purple sentiment into the color scheme, I made a purple flower embellishment putting three separate sections together and used a purple brad to combine them and then used a glittered purple dot to hide the brad. It really looks as if the flower was a premade flower.

I wanted to keep the inside of the card very simple but with meaning so I could write a longer personal note. The sentiment is also heat/powder embossed in purple directly on the same shiny pink paper that I used on the front of the card. You can see the silver shiny part of the pink better in this picture because I did not emboss it. As on the front, I just cut the paper 1/4" smaller all the way around so the white of the card would be as a frame.

Since Pam purchased the dress form to go in my Diva Den, which stores my collection of heels, I just had to put this cute high heel on the back as my signature. I used my Gazelle to cut this out using the shiny pink paper as well as a metallic silver for the overlay. Adorable!!!

Now that I figured out how to create cute personalized envelopes, I just had to do so for this card. I used textured pink paper to make the envelope and made the liner out of the same metallic silver paper used for the high heel. Just too cute!!

Products used for this card:

5"x6.5" White Note Card
Shiny Pink Paper
Light Grey Paper
Textured Pink Paper
Metallic Silver Paper (Hobby Lobby doesn't show loose paper on site)
Silk Flower Parts
Purple Brad
Glittery Purple (this is a similar dot embellishment because purple wasn't online)
Dress Form Stamp
Thank You Stamp (this is a similar stamp as the one I used is old and no longer sold at Hobby Lobby)
Smallest Things Stamp
Embossing Folder
Purple Embossing Powder
Metallic Silver Embossing Powder
Embossing Ink
Embossing Heat Gun
High Heel SVG (Free)

It's a Girl Card

This post's card is for a baby shower. I found inspiration for this card on Two Peas in a Bucket. The one that I used as my guide used similar front of the card, with some distinctions. I didn't see the inside of the card on the site, so that is all on me. ha This card turned out pretty cute but I absolutely love the adorable matching envelope that I created for it.

The first photo is of the front of the card. I used a white 5"x6.5" note card and used a pink/green plaid 12"x12" paper and cut it down to size to be just slightly smaller than the actual card so the white of the card would be as a frame. I bought a SVG kit online that included the onesie design to use to cut the designs out via my Gazelle. I took three separate paper stock to make three onesies. I thought the colors/designs of the paper are bright and colorful that made me think of babies. I placed a green ribbon around the plaid paper before I glued the plaid onto the card so the ribbon isn't visible inside the card. I glued the onesies to the ribbon allowing the bottom of each to be loose. I added the white border welcoming the baby and added a heart on either side. I printed that on my color printer, using bright pink ink. Although you cannot tell from the photo, I added Glam Pink Stickles to the hearts. This just adds a little glitter/shine to the hearts. It looks really cute in person!

The above photo is of the inside of the card. The toy blocks were also part of the SVG kit that I purchased with the onesie design. I printed the letters of the baby's name in three different colors (pink, blue and yellow). I cut out a larger onesie and added it to the inside of the card. Like the hearts on the front, I used Glam Pink and Purple Stickles on the onsies (sorry you can't really tell in the picture....just take my word on it, it looks really cute! ha).

So here it is! I made the envelope by purchasing a SVG template online. I wanted to use some really use envelopes templates that I purchased but unfortunately they are just too big to fit a 12x12 mat/Gazelle for a 5.5"x7" envelope. So thanks to Fun Time (Gazelle software) I was able to create my own liner and add the cute scalloped edge. I resized everything to make it fit perfectly for the card, tested it out a few times to get it exactly right and then printed the final version using the same paper that I had used on the front of the card. The liner is a shiny pink paper that I thought would go perfectly. I just love this card. It really just finished off the card.

I thought this card turned out really cute and am grateful for the inspiration that I found on Two Peas in a Bucket by ILoveGEM. She has some really cute cards!!

Products used for this card:

5"x6.5" White Note Card
Pink Plaid Paper (Hobby Lobby doesn't show loose paper on site)
Paper for Onesies
Paper for Onesies
Pink, Yellow and Blue Paper for Blocks on Inside of Card
White Cardstock for Welcome Message
Green Ribbon
Pink and Purple Stickles
SVG Baby Elements Kit
SVG Envelope Kit

Dad's Birthday Card

Well, I have been a busy bee making two cards in one day! I couldn't stop! My poor dog has felt very neglected this week considering I am spending too much time making cards and updating my blog when he is used to me spending hours with him on my lap...but I'm addicted to making cards now!! I'll admit that I do spend time scanning several blogs/sites trying to get inspiration for my cards since I'm so new. I just don't have the "eye" to go it alone just yet. I definitely don't copy something exactly and put my own spin on the cards/envelopes.

This post is specific to my second card ever made, my dad's birthday card. I am a true daddy's girl (although I'm also a momma's girl too! I'm lucky like that! ha) and although I can't be with him on his birthday (lives in a different state), I wanted to make a simple/masculine card for him. Now that I think about it, I did NOT use inspiration for this card from someone else. WOW....maybe I do have an eye for it and just don't give myself enough credit. YAY me! ha

 

Above is the front of the card. It's rather simple but masculine thanks to the color choices. I used Kraft card 5"x7" as it is more masculine than white or cream. I also placed an olive card stock on top of the card, just cutting it 1/4" smaller than the card. I admit that I didn't want to waste an entire 5"x7" piece of paper so I used my new handy dandy Gazelle (swoon) to cut a frame out basically the only paper used was what you can see (plus about 1/4"). The plaid paper on top of the olive paper was taken from one of my 4.5"x6.5" packets, so no trimming was needed. Although you cannot tell from this photo, the "World's Greatest Dad" is lifted (3D). I also created a frame, using my Gazelle, to place around the 3D phrase.

The above picture is of the inside of the card. I used the same plaid paper as the backdrop for the inside of the card. On top of the plaid, I placed the olive paper, also used on the front of the card, and stamped "Happy Birthday" in two colors to give it a more dimensional look. I used gold on the bottom and then stamped it with black on top of the gold. Underneath the birthday stamp, I placed a tie that I cut out with a blue patterned paper with my Gazelle. That is all it needed. Plain and simple.....masculine.

The back of the card just has a simple heart stamp in pink. It's for my daddy....gotta put some love into this card!!

The above picture is of the front of the envelope. Again, used the Kraft (think paper bag) envelope to match the card. I added three ties (a little smaller than the one on the inside of the card) to the lower left hand corner. Just gives it a little something special.

The above picture is the back of the envelope. I just thought it would be cute to keep with the tie theme and added a little tie (same size as those on the front of the envelope) on the tip of the flap. So when I seal the card, it will look as if it is a seal of sorts. I also added a stamped phrase, "Make a wish" in green.  I love this envelope! It would make me smile to get something like this in the mail!

Above is the final product, front of the card and front of the envelope! Now I just need to write a sweet note and drop it in the mail tonight!!

Products used for this card:

5"x7" Kraft Note Card Value Pack
Textured Green Paper
Plaid Paper
World's Greatest Dad 3-D Embellishment
Happy Birthday Stamp
Make a Wish Stamp
Heart Line Stamp
Gold Ink
Black Ink
Pink Ink
Cardstock for Ties

Papercrafting - Start up Products

Back in November my sister mentioned die-cutting machines (she has two Cricuts) and the Top Ten Review site.....that got me on a kick to get back to crafting, something that I have always loved, although I admit I tend to be a collector of craft products more than anything for the past several years. After hours and hours of product research, I placed an order for the Boss Kut Gazelle. Although it was on backorder, I continued to do relentless hours of research for projects, products, etc. In preparation of receiving my baby Gazelle, I have literally spent a small fortune in buying everything I think that I would possibly need for many paper crafting projects. I thought that I would share some of the products, where I purchased them as well as suggested sites for great deals!

First, let me just admit that I should own stock in Hobby Lobby for the amount of money that I spend there annually. I literally am at one of their retail stores multiple times a week and they all know me. It's a little sad, really! ha If you find something that you love at Hobby Lobby and it's not on sale, either use the 40% off one item coupon (available from their website as well as via their app) or just wait a week and it will likely be on sale for 30-50% off! "Hi, my name is StefiKaye and I'm a Hobby Lobby-aholic!" haha Gotta love Hobby Lobby!

Please note that I research online for hours EVERY item that I purchase to ensure that I get the best deal possible. I was surprised that Amazon is not always the cheapest place to buy things. I found a great site, Stuff4Scrapbooking that actually beat Amazon (7 out of 10 items). I definitely recommend their site. Not only do they have great deals/prices, but they offer free shipping at a certain amount and if you sign up for their free membership, you receive reward points for each item purchased, people signing up by your invitation, reviewing products, etc. The reward points are then used as cash for future purchases. How great is THAT? Unfortunately the only way to invite friends/family to join the site is via an email on their site that you have little control over. Many people will either receive the email in their spam account and/or assume it is spam/junk mail as it is not coming from your address but the Stuff4 site and never open the email. I tried emailing the invite to another of my email accounts but it is individualized and forwarding to your friends will not work. I reached out to their customer support team and they informed me that they do not offer a direct link that you can send to people, post on your blog, etc...so sadly there is no real way to invite people to join except via the email option on their site.

Below is a list of "paper crafting essentials" that I've recently purchased. Due to the mass amount of products that I've purchased, I will not list all my actual embellishments, inks, stamps, paper, etc...as I will list each item used for every project that I post. The list below is just of the essential tools that I purchased that I will use with each project.

12" Paper trimmer
Clear Stamp Block (to place cling stamps on)
Craft Sheet (to keep your desk clean from inks, glitter, etc.)
Scotch Tape Glider
Big Shot Embosser
Paper Creaser (Bone)
Micro Serrated Scissors
Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Copic Markers
Embossing Heating Tool
Rotary Cutter
Gazelle Digital Die-Cutting Machine (Don't let the site fool you! This is a great machine and has better ratings than all other machines other than the Black Cat, which costs nearly $800! You can check out the reviews: Top Ten Reviews)

My first card!

YAY!! So although I had not received my much anticipated Gazelle (die-cutting machine) yet, a friend of mine's father passed away over the weekend so in addition to attending the visitation, I wanted to send a card. I was afraid that I wouldn't know where to start or how to make it look as good as I expect of myself....but I went forward anyway. I will include pictures and a list of the products that I used and even link to the site/store from where I purchased each product. The pictures were taken on my iPhone so they aren't the best quality and the card looks better in person, but I wanted to share it with you as I'm so proud of myself for pulling it off!!

Above is the front of the card. I used brown "Kraft" card and envelope purchased at Hobby Lobby.
The paper used on the front of the card is a beautiful floral from Paper Studio "Linen Door." I also used two buttons and self-adhesive gems (two gems and two pearls). I cut yellow paper into an oval and stamped "With Sympathy" using a brown ink pad. I also used the brown ink to distress the entire card edges (inside and out) as well as the floral and yellow paper edges. This really made a difference from a "colder" card to a "warmer" card (if that makes sense). I used a punch to round the edges of all four sides of the card as well as the floral cardstock.

 

Above is a photo of the inside of the card. Again, the photo isn't great as I used my iPhone to take the picture and my new computer doesn't have photo enhancement software on it yet. I used the same yellow paper that I utilized on the front for the inside. I also rounded and used the brown ink on the edges as I did on the front of the card. I stamped the inside with "Thinking of you during this difficult time" and a lily from the same pack as the "With Sympathy". I used the brown ink for the sentiment and used both green and orange for the flower.

 

The back of the card is also stamped with my initial. I used Martha Stewart's Custom Stamp Setting Kit but I hope to get a more personalized stamp, either with my name or with a sweet sentiment that fits me. But for now, this works. I used the brown ink around the edges of the back as I did the rest of the card.

Above is the back of the Kraft Note Card envelope. I used the brown ink pad around all edges including the flap. Because this card was a sympathy card for a friend, I wanted to stamp a simple, "Thinking of you" on the back of the envelope. This stamp was just too big to place on the front as it would look too busy and crowded.

 

 

Above are two pictures of the finished product, both the card and envelope.

Products used for this card:

5"x7" Kraft Note Card Value Pack
Floral Paper
Yellow Paper
With Sympathy Stamp
Buttons
Self-Adhesive Gemstones/Pearls
Brown Ink Pad
Green Ink Pad
Orange Ink Pad
Martha Stewart Custom Stamp Setting Kit
Thinking of You Stamp

The Beginning!

Hi everyone! My name is Stephanie but I went by my middle name, Kaye, until I was 27 when I met my (now) ex husband who preferred Stephanie. As time went on, more and more people knew me as Stephanie and those who knew me as Kaye were old friends and family. Thanks to the Internet, it often confused people when they knew me as Kaye and someone called me Stephanie and vise versa, so I inevitably started referring to myself as StefiKaye as a way to combine the two.

I'm starting this blog as a way to showcase some of my thoughts, inspirations, "pay it forward" ideas, great products I want to share with the world and crafts that I either create or adore. Over time the site may evolve into more but I thought this was a great place to start. I admit that I was once a Facebook addict and would spend entirely too much time on the site for no apparent reason. I "temporarily" disabled my Facebook account at Midnight on New Year's Eve as a way to break away and get more involved in more productive things and get back to things I love, like my crafts......

I seem to be more of a collector of craft products than anything these days but I am going to put a stop to that and actually utilize the products. What a concept, I know! In the past I have cross stitched (since I was about 12...which wasn't just yesterday! ha) and made jewelry more than anything but I have an obsession with collecting gift wrapping products. My latest obsession, that I haven't even started yet, is paper crafting/card making. As a single gal without children of my own, I tend to buy myself a few nice Christmas gifts. Who am I kidding, I buy myself a few nice gifts year round but in December I'm able to justify them as Christmas gifts!

Back in November one of my four sisters, Pam, mentioned die-cutting machines as she has a couple of Cricuts. She showed me a review website ranking the top 10. That's all it took. I was determined to research each of the top 10 and decide which would be my prize. It didn't take long for me to realize that the Boss Kut Gazelle (#2 of 10) was the chosen one, however their website did not help influence that decision as it seems rather unprofessional so I feared it was not going to be a company with a solid foundation and support as other more professional sites offered. Boy was I wrong. They provide great tech support (Terri rocks!) as well as an online forum (one for visitors and a separate forum for registered owners). They provide many video and written tutorials and have great software that is included with the Gazelle. So don't let the website fool you!! It's a top-notch company.

If you are in the market for a digital die-cutting machine, you must check them out:
BossKut

The Top Ten Review that I mentioned is located:
Top Ten Reviews

Although the Gazelle was on backorder, I put down $30 as a deposit and got in line with eager anticipation. That got the ball rolling. I spent hours and hours and hours watching tutorials and craft projects and card making YouTube videos. I got inspired by so many great blogs and sites showcasing individual projects that while waiting for my Gazelle, I managed to spend several hundred dollars in purchasing even more products to use for my paper craft projects (i.e., embossing machine (although the Gazelle does emboss, as well as engrave), card stock, rubber stamps, tons of inks, alcohol markers (I really wanted to buy the Copic markers but could not justify the cost (they run $5-7 each) so I compromised and bought a set of Prismcolor markers, which was still over $100 for 48), cutting mats, emboss heating tool, sets of good scissors, embellishments, ribbon, twine, and the list goes on and on). I also bought several storage boxes/compartments and reorganized my office space to have room for all my new goodies. I'll admit that my office still looks like a bomb went off in there as I now need to find places to put all the stuff I moved around. But at least I've got a space cleared for the Gazelle and my new All-in-One computer that I also gifted myself for Christmas.

Soooooo I received a notice that my Gazelle finally shipped this week and it is set for delivery on Tuesday! YAY!!! I am ecstatic but had hoped to get it over the weekend since I have Monday off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Would have been nice to have uninterrupted time to register, take some owner tutorials and learn a bit about the software so I could get this party started and get to crafting!! Patience is not my virtue at times.

I hope that at some point I will be good enough that I will buy a little video camera and even video some of my projects so I can post online to inspire others to get to crafting as well. Until then, I will just post various pictures of the project (possibly in different stages) with detailed instructions and list the products used.

I will also note on this blog various products that I use (not just crafts) or sites that I come across that I just love enough to share with the world. I am a very enthusiastic person when I come across "the best thing ever" and I want to make sure that I spread the word. I'm also a strong supporter of paying it forward and random acts of kindness. They can literally take no time and no cost but can change the life of someone or at the very least make someone's day. When someone doesn't have a smile, give them one of yours!!

Until next time! Thanks for your support and please check back to see what projects I come up with and must haves that I recommend.

Now go out and be FABULOUS!!!

Bubye!
StefiKaye