I'm back once again with another peek at my ever-evolving storage solutions. This time, we're talking ink. Specifically - Distress Ink.

I don't have a lot of regular ink pads - maybe a dozen or so. But I have every color of the Distress Inks in the mini size. And as you can tell from my many posts about them, I love them!

When I first starting buying the minis, I was able to keep them easily filed in rainbow order in one or two of the storage tins that are made for this particular product. However, as my collection grew, so did the need to keep them more organized and more easily accessible.

I decided to split the tins into color families. My first order of business was to sort out all the minis to see how many of each color I had. I decided that as long as the color family was together, it could share a tin with another family - if they were both small enough. So pink and red share, as do yellow and orange. Purple and black/grey also share as they are both very small families.

As you can see, there are spaces left in the tins - enough that I could get rid of a whole tin, but I want the colors grouped together, so I decided a few dollars for another tin was worth it. Plus, I've got room to grow now, if Ranger ever decides to come out with more colors!

Since I store the tins stacked on a shelf, I used my label maker to label the sides of the tins with the colors inside. I made sure that each color had it's own label, in case I ever have to re-arrange the minis into different tins.

All-in-all, this is a pretty simple solution. After all, I'm using the tins that are meant to store these mini ink pads. It's not like I came up with a whole new system, I just spread out the inks over multiple tins. But it works for me, and that's all that matters when you organize craft supplies. Do what works for you!

Happy Crafting (and Organizing)!

I have a very simple card to share with you today.

This one was made quickly from some leftover patterned paper. I had used this paper for another project a few years ago and I loved it so much I could not bear to throw the leftovers away. So I made a card! Actually, I made 3, but I sold 2 of them to my coworkers.

I like this card not only because I like the paper so much, but because it reminds me that cards don't have to take hours to complete. They don't have to be super complicated and filled with techniques. They don't have to use several different tools to produce. You only need some paper, some ink, a stamp, and some glue. Easy!

What cards do you like to make most? Simple cards like this or more in-depth cards?
For me, it depends on my mood. There are some days when I just want to make something quick and easy to use up my stash or when I am limited on time. Other days I want to sit and create for hours and really get the creative juices flowing.

Happy Crafting!

The third and final wedding of August this year (one, two) was my sister-in-law Emily and her boyfriend Lindsay. The were married at Minnehaha Falls amid stunning foliage and loving family and friends.

I was so excited when they asked me to make their wedding stationary! I had already made their save-the-dates, so I knew the feel they were going for with their invitation as well. Simple, elegant, natural, and light.

I found a delicate leaf die-cut to add to the top of the invitation. And I didn't even know that the ceremony site had a canopy of leaves! It was perfect!

I kept the whole invitation pretty simple. I did add a pocket to the back to hold the RSVP card/envelope and an insert card for directions and information.

The reception was at a fun local restaurant. Emily and Lindsay wanted assigned seating, but the meal was a buffet, so we didn't have to deal with individual seating cards. Instead, I made a poster telling everyone which table to go to.

The tables were marked with different herbs. Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, etc. I also made the signs that went into the pots of the plants on the tables. And as a wedding favor, each guest got a small package of the herb on their table!

I am so happy for Emily and Lindsay! I hope their life together is as beautiful and full as the amazing garden they were married in.

Photos of the couple were taken by Melissa Hesse.

Happy Crafting!

I've been trying new techniques with my distress inks again! Which means it's time for another edition of:

This time around, I used the mini blending tool to apply the ink to the paper instead of putting the paper directly into the ink. For this first card, I used alphabet stencils and rainbow colors to make a thank you card.

I added some water droplets after I was done, which adds nice texture, but several of them are very large, which I think distracts from the overall message of the card. The letters are hard enough to read without having big splotches on them as well.

On the other card, I applied the same rainbow colors to the entire background, then put a chevron stencil over the top and applied some black ink to make the stripes.

I like how this one turned out - it's pretty muted and soft for having so many bright colors and such a bold pattern.

I like the look of blended distress inks, but it's quite time consuming, so I'm not sure I'll be using this technique that often. But I'm glad I've tried it and I'm happy with how these cards turned out.

Happy Crafting!

Being a preschool teacher, I'm partial to anything that has to do with kids. So when I saw this stamp set, I knew I had to have it!

How cute are these stamps?!? I've had these stamps for a while, but I never took them out to play with. Until now! I got a new paper pad and I knew the bright colors and bold designs would go perfectly with these stamps!

A perfect pairing, don't you think?

I used some foam tape to pop up some of the elements to add dimension and interest, but other than that, it's just the paper and the stamp. No techniques, no inks, no special tools.

It was fun to just play with paper again. That's what I worked with years ago when I started scrapbooking and card making. Just paper. I love playing with the colors and patterns.

Hmmm... I think I'm going to have to dig out all my papers again!

Happy Crafting!

Last August was full of weddings for me. My husband and I went to 3 weddings in the span of 4 weeks! You may recall a couple of the cards I made for them.

One of the weddings was for Katie and Peder. I've known Katie since I was 10. My family moved into a new house and pretty quickly met Katie and her 2 sisters who lived next door. She and my younger sister became close friends and have stayed in touch all these years. So of course we were all ecstatic when she announced her and Peder's engagement!

Shortly after she got engaged, Katie got in contact with me and told me that after seeing the invitations I made for my sister's wedding in 2014, she knew that I had to make her invitations, too! Of course I said yes!

The wedding colors were pink, coral, and yellow, with grey for the boys, so I found a pale grey and pale coral for the invitations.

Katie chose to go with a paper-lace design with K&P watermarked behind the text. It is difficult to see in the photos, but it shows up better on the RSVP back.

The back of the invitation featured a pocket to hold the RSVP, envelope, and insert card with map and directions. Everything tucked neatly inside so nothing got lost when you opened the envelope.

Katie and Peder's wedding was gorgeous! The ballroom was so elegant, the decorations were fun and colorful, and the dancing was highly entertaining! And I wouldn't have expected anything less from such a fun-loving couple. Especially since their wedding party had 22 people in it!

Congratulations to Katie and Peder!
And thank you for letting me be a part of your special day!

Happy Crafting!

Every year after Thanksgiving, I bring my cards into work to sell in the break room. I always sell a few, and it gets my name and work out there. This year, I was approached by a fellow teacher asking for some custom cards for a gift. She wanted some music themed cards. Easy!

I used this stamp on ivory paper to make the background paper, along with some distress ink to make it look older. That paper was then adhered to a black card base.

For the sentiment, I used this stamp on more ivory paper distressed with ink. I mounted it on black paper, cut a banner edge, and mounted it on the card with foam tape to give some dimension. I also added some die cut leaves behind the sentiment banner.

I really like how these cards came out. I made 4 for the special order (which she used for a holiday party gift game) and 4 extra which sold at work in just days! I think I'll have to make some more!

Happy Crafting!

Anyone drooling yet?

I inherited my love of donuts from my mom, so when I saw this paper, I had to get it! I got it originally for my mom's birthday - I wrapped her gift in it and made her a card. Since I had some paper left over, I decided to share the joy of donuts with others!

These cards were fast and simple to put together. I cut the paper, edged it with some ink, stamped and embossed a greeting, and adhered everything to a card base.

I love that these cards can be used for any occasion. Because really, donuts are always the answer, aren't they?

Want some donuts (cards) for yourself? Get them in my Etsy shop!

Happy snacking, I mean, crafting!

Wedding season may be several months away, but I have been playing with the "&" stamp that I used on the wedding cards I made last summer.

I heat-embossed the stamped image with white embossing powder, then used distress inks (we all know how much I love those!) to make a colorful watercolor-like background. Some simple matting, and voila! Cards ready for any wedding!

What I really like about this design is that I can make it in any color combination I want - making it really easy to customize the card to the wedding! I made a blue, a lavender/pale pink, and a bright pink to begin with. I think those are pretty generic wedding colors, right?

I stamped the inside with a 'Congratulations' in a matching color of ink.

I have these listed on Etsy right now, but if you'd like one in a different color combination, just let me know and I can make one just for your special occasion!

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Crafting!

I've done several invitations over the last few years, and an invitation order usually involves at least a few dozen invitations, if not over 100! Imagine my surprise when a friend asked me for just one invitation!

She has a friend whose husband planned a Vegas getaway for her 40th birthday! And not just for him and her, but for 3 other couples! And she had no idea! What an amazing gift, right? So my friend and the other 2 couples decided to make the weekend extra special and plan a special dinner, a spa afternoon, and a show.

Since the husband and friends planned the whole weekend, they didn't need invitations, but the birthday girl did, so that's what I got to make! A reverse invitation. And what better colors to use for a Vegas getaway than gold and black?

I stamped the band holding it all together with some gold embossing to give it a bit more shine.

I made the invitation a tri-fold invitation with two pockets so the show tickets and a birthday message could be tucked into the pockets.

The center panel outlined the schedule of events for the weekend as well as a description of the spa treatment.

I am told the birthday girl was thoroughly surprised and the weekend was amazing. And I am super jealous.

Happy Crafting!