Easter Basket

I have made another Easter basket!  I made several others but I just love how easy they are to make and fun to decorate.  You can find the instructions here     http://stamptv.ning.com/video/gift-basket-part-1
The tulip on the basket is Valita's  Owl Punch Tulip!  I had to see if I could make them!  They are super easy and so pretty!  You can find her video instructions on her blog-
http://valitasfreshfolds.blogspot.com/     

I am posting tonight since I will out of comission for a few days!  An MRI revealed I had a Meniscus tear in my knee.  Actually, there are 2 tears on either side of my knee.  The surgery is scheduled for the morning and isn't supposed to be too bad.  But the recover may take awhile.  Since my computer is upstairs and my Studio is in the cellar- I am thinking I won't be working on either for a few days!    Any prayers for me are much welcomed!  Here is a picture of the other side of my basket!   I will be back soon!

Just Clowning Around!

We bought our Grandson, Ezra, a coin bank at Disney that was a bright yellow taxi with Mickey & Minnie and Donald & Daisy hanging out of a Taxi cab!  I wanted to recreate that taxi but with clowns!  I used two sizes of the heart punch with Stampin Up's large oval punch to make my clown face.  Their hair is from several leaf punches along with Martha Stewart's crown punch!  I loved Lynn Pratt's big yellow school bus and used some of her ideas for my taxi.  You can see her bus here-
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1775367?&si=school bus
I am still hobbling along with a sore knee!  I am seeing the Doctor on Tuesday so he can tell me what the MRI said.  I pray it is not surgery!  Here are more pictures of my Clown card!

                                                  

AYUH!

I have been a little off my game lately!  Over the weekend I injured my knee by just stepping upon a chair to adjust a window.  I heard a loud POP and then lots of pain!  My husband is taking me this morning to have an MRI but the Doctor thinks it may be a tear in my knee.  FUN!!    But- I still made it down into my Studio by using a crutch!  I  haven't fallen yet.  I wanted to finish this card since my niece's husband has a birthday this weekend!  They are here from Georgia visiting for a week. We are having a family party at my sister, Rochelle's house to celebrate.  Of course, it had to snow yesterday so they could see what Maine is really like in the winter.  They left 85 degree weather in Georgia!   Poor dears!  I was inspired by Lynn Pratt's lobster invitation!  I didn't have the same dies but I think it came out OK.  You can see Lynn's crustacean here- http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1765897?&si=lobster    Here are a few more shots of my card!  I used the Easel card technique because I love how this makes the card stand up!  Can't you just taste that lobster! 
                                              

     

ARRGH!

Another Disney inspiration! We took a boat ride from Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios while we were on vacation last week.  You see this boat as you pass the Dolphin and Swan resorts.   I have made boats before but the sails on this boat really caught my eye and it is what inspired me to make my Pirate ship!

I haven't decided how I will use this card- as a birthday card or just a Hello!  I am thinking of sentiments like,  Ahoy Maties!  or It's Yar Birthday!  I won't add sentiments until I am sure. I saw several Pirate owls that certainly inspired my owls.  I loved the owl that is shown here-

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1795552?&si=pirate owl

  I thought I would show you a few pictures on how I made the boat. I used Sizzix Spiral die for the boat.

                                                              

Birdcages

This is the last post after spending all day in my studio.  Well, I did take a little nap in the afternoon.  It's back to work today after a week of vacation in Florida.  What a luxury to be able to work on anything you want!  I love it!  I have made birdcages before with Tim Holtz's die but these were made from a new die I purchased from Marianne Design.  I bought it on ebay since I believe it is not offered in the US.  I love this die and have already purchase another die of fronds and leaves.  The bird is from the SU bird punch and are made from paper that I bought while in Florida.  It is from the Mind Eye company- The Stella & Rose line.  This paper is fabulous!  It almost feels like cloth!  I love the colors that are offered and the feel of the paper!  I plan to get some more of this great paper! I took a 3" x 3 " square of paper and scored each side 1/4 inch.   After cutting one little snip on each corner up to the score line- you can fold your paper down and make the floor of the birdcage.  I used this to attach the panels of my birdcage with glue at the bottom.  Then  you can fold in the top part of the cage and glue just the tab at the top.  This is easier to make than Tim's birdcage since it is square.  Although, I love Tim's die too!  Here are some more pictures of these cages!

This is a picture of the die I purchased!  It is very light weight- more like Spellbinders.  It cut perfectly for me and I had no trouble getting it out of the die.  For my birdcages- I cut out one of the doors so the birds could get in and out with ease!  You can go and see some more samples of Marianne Design dies at Elly's blog-
http://ellyscardcorner.blogspot.com/    This is a wonderful blog with all kinds of beautiful cards- check out some on the links on her site - they have beautiful ideas, too!

Easter Baskets!

Gina K Designs on Stamp TV has a great video with the instructions for these adorable Gift Baskets!  I have decided to use mine for Easter.  It is so easy to make and you can decorate it anyway you want.  I like these baskets because they are a pretty good size basket.  Gina puts flowers in her example and there is plenty of room to do that.    You can find the instructions here-
http://stamptv.ning.com/video/gift-basket-part-1
I saw Loll Thompson's cute Pretty in Pink Basket and that led me to Stamp TV.  I love Loll's adorable basket!  You can see it here-
 http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1929053?&si=pink  basket
I added a duck here and a rabbit there- just because I love Punch art.  I was inspired by my sister, Rochelle's adorable duckie!  Take a look at her cute design-
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1928044?&si=beechwood   I would never have thought to use the SU Ornament Punch for the head!  It is so cute and easy to make!  Easter is just around the corner!

Betty Boop!

We visited Universal on our vacation and I loved the section of the park that had old comic strip characters.  They even had Betty Boop!  I was inspired to make a birthday card for my husband's cousin.  I used a Spellbinder's die for the face- the name of it escapes me.  Her eyes are from the SU Owl punch.  I enlarged the above photo to make a template for her hair.  That was really the toughest part!  Her chest is from Valita's post at Valentine's.  You can check out  her blog to get directions here-

http://valitasfreshfolds.blogspot.com/2011/01/valentine-heart-punch-couple.html

It was fun trying to come up with the right punches to make Betty come to life!  I will probably make more cards from things I saw at Disney.  What an place to find inspiration- it was around every corner.  I took alot of pictures of the sights but I took just as many pictures of things that I thought, " wouldn't that make a great card", or things with color combinations that I would never think of!  You just never know where inspiration can be found.  Hope you like my Betty Boop!

Disney's Epcot Fireworks

We just got back from spending a week with my sister, Connie and her husband, Russ, at the Disney Resort Saratoga Springs .  We can't go to Disney without seeing the fireworks at Epcot.  Here is just a section of the fireworks display!  It is my favorite thing to do at Disney's Epcot park!!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

We are on vacation for a couple of days - I wanted to get a last post in.  I seem to be going from Easter cards to St. Patrick Day cards.  I love making both!  I wanted to show a couple of pictures that show you what I used for dies and punches to make my leprechaun and the rainbow.

I used Sizzix's Spiral die for the rainbow.  I can't believe how much I use this die! I used it for the arms on my leprechaun, too!

Easter Carousel

I have been playing around with making a carousel for a few days.  The hardest part is coming up with the idea!!  I used an empty toilet paper roll for the center.  I love the bunny Sizzlet die and the Tilda stamp that has her holding an Easter egg- I got the chance to use both!!  The butterflies are from Spellbinder's too!  It is sitting on top of an empty ribbon spool.  I love the chance to recycle items that I have saved and just can't seem to throw away!  Not that I save toilet paper rolls but think how many of them you throw away!  At least I got the chance to use ONE!  Anyway, it will make a nice centerpiece for Easter!  Wait ...Shhhh....Maybe I won't tell anyone it was made with a toilet paper roll...