Juicy Fruit Card Collection

"Lime-ade"

"Lemonade Smile"

"An Apple A Day"

"An Apple For You"

"A Sweet Hello"

"Thinking of You"

After I got home from Ginger's today, although the rain made me feel sleepy and slightly unmotivated, I was able to create these six cards while watching the two hour audition episode of So You Think You Can Dance. I spread everything out on my coffee table and tried to "bring the sunshine in." I wanted to do something playful and Summer-y and bulk up my stash of on hand spur-of-the-moment greeting cards. Believe it or not, I created all six of these cards from basically the same sheet of DCWV Sweet Stack paper. I threw in some scraps of other stuff with the green and the stripe and the the little rubber accents are K & Co. This was fun!

Jenna & Justin's Birthday Cards

For Jenna's First Birthday

For Justin's Third Birthday

At Ginger's house today, I was able to start my Dessert LFB and create these two greeting cards for Jeff's niece and nephew who both have June birthdays. I love the new trend in scrapbooking using Robots on cards and scrapbook pages and I bought a sheet of Robot stickers from the Dollar Tree just waiting for the perfect occassion to use them. I had almost finished the card when I realized it still needed something, the green background was blank and Ginger suggested that I stamp the stars in the background (CTMH). That totally made it perfect-thanks for the advice Ginger! (And that's why it's good to create with friends sometimes!)

For Jenna's card, I used the DCWV Sweet Stack of glitter paper for the pink background, and CTMH stamps for the cupcake and sentiment. Ginger let me borrow her glitter glue to make the candle sparkle (Stickles, Ranger). I used double-sided foam squares to give the frosting part of the cupcake and the candle some "pop" and dimension.

Although Jenna and Justin are too little now to appreciate their cards, I hope that Jeff's sister and brother-in-law get a kick out of them and I love them all to pieces!

Go Ahead, Seize the Cupcake!

"Dessert" LFB Front
"Dessert" LFB Back

This is the LFB that I created for the June Swap at Stampassion. The theme is "Desserts" and I was instantly inspired by my latest paper crafting obsession: all things cupcakes. I have cupcake paper, and cupcake stamps, and cupcake ribbon, and it was fun to put it to a use other than birthday cards. The paper is DCWV, the stamps are CTMH and GStudio. I used CTMH Liquid Glass in a puddle at the top of the cupcake to hold on the seed bead "sprinkles" and great a glossy frosting look. The strawberry bodice is a rubber sticker from K & Co. I'm not obsessed with eating real cupcakes (I just think they look adorable) but I have plenty of other vices I sometimes feel guilty about eating, so "Go ahead, Seize the Cupcake" seemed like a good phrase to use, because we only live once, we might as well enjoy dessert!

Tickled Pink Brink

I was so excited to get my Close To My Heart order delivered today so I could scrapbook and play with this National Scrapbooking Month "Tickled Pink" kit. It came with 4 patterned papers (two with glitter), 5 sheets of cardstock, one die-cut sheet, an acrylic stamp set (that includes numbers, phrases, quotes, flowers, & leaves), a mini-medley accent collection (flower brads, ribbon slides, crocheted flowers, and tiny metal tags), and a sponge dauber distressing tool. All that for FREE with a $60+ stamp order. If you would like to get your kit to play with, hurry to my website, www.tabithalewis.myctmh.com to get yours by May 31st! I did this cute layout of my puppy Brinkley and I still have a ton of paper and accents left over to make cards, ATCs, or other layouts. I hope you'll give it a shot, the quality and value can't be beat!

Alice in Wonderland ATCs for Ginger's Swap

"That Crazy Cat"

"Hello There"

"Tea Party"

After a BBQ at Jeff's parent's house for Memorial day, we just came home to relax. Jeff is passed out in the bedroom as I write this, so I decided to finish my last Alice card for Ginger's Fairy Tale Swap. My printer is really low on ink and the images that I wanted to print for my last one were coming out horrible so I had to improvise. The "Hello There" background was torn from a vintage story book, I stamped on the clock and gears, then used a blow pen for the splash of color. I had the little Cheshire cat image left over from the other two I worked on, so I put him in the chair with double sided foam squares and then added the stickers and inchie. Not bad considering it wasn't what I had initially set out to do. Although "That Crazy Cat" is my favorite because I love the googly eyes that I used and the paper pieced tree trunk. The Fairy Tale swaps are fun, I'm glad Ginger has stuck with introducing a new one each month. Hopefully the Fairy Tale Fever is catching and she'll get more participants with this one.

Brianna's Care Package

Brianna was just your average bubbly 11 year old until the end of January when she was diagnosed with leukemia. I don't actually know her, I found out about what she's going through from an email bulletin a former scrapbook store owner sends out every few weeks. It's weird though, I felt compelled to want to help her somehow. Art has always pulled me through tough times, and my sister too. I turn to it to distract me, to motivate me, to relieve stress, and to just plain have fun. I proposed to my yahoo group that we "adopt" her and put together a care package for her. Many group members jumped at the chance to pass on some supplies, buy some goodies, create some art, and cheer up this little sweetheart.

The ladies in In My Vintage Room all have such big hearts, I should have known I would have a great response, but the accumulation of papers, stickers, die-cuts, accents, get well cards, and ATCs was absolutely wonderful. I corresponded through email with Brianna's grandmother and mother today to confirm her address and the package will be on its way Tuesday. They already seem so appreciative of anything that will cheer her up and help her through such a fatiguing and unpleasant time.

It feels good to help someone I don't even know, and I'm so happy that everyone joined together to bring a little joy and a little art into Brianna's life. You can help her too with words of encouragement on her guestbook or a donation to the family for travel and medical expenses. Please visit http://caringbridge.org/visit/briannachase/guestbook

Donna's Party

On Saturday I went to Donna's house for our second Yahoo group meeting ever. Donna lives in Schenectady, NY in the historic Stockade, and within the tiniest backyard she has created an artsy and eclectic garden oasis. I loved meeting with her and Helen again, getting to meet Berta for the first time, visiting with Ginger, and even having both of my sisters join me for such a great afternoon. Donna treated us to pastries from Villa Italia and her and Berta passed around vintage lace and ribbons and images to share, and we had the best time chatting. I love that I am starting to be able to put faces with names to some of the most active members of the group. It makes it easier to pick out their artwork when I'm doing swaps now, and I'm trying to tailor what I pick to give to each person based on what I'm learning about their interests and styles and tastes. Sooo much fun! I love that I feel like I'm really making some lifelong friendships.

Summer Haze LFB

"Summer Haze" LFB front

"Summer Haze" LFB back

I haven't had any time to create in the past few days because I have been at work and when I get home I have been exhausted. Tuesday night, I went to Stampassion for the first time since I was at Siena in 2002. It's a cute little store with a neat selection of items I haven't seen before so I was really excited. I also got to see members of my Yahoo group in person again. We sat in the classroom off the side of the store and "played." I was hoping to learn a new technique, but we ended up just taking the time to create and visit. I will probably go again next month with Lori and learn how to use Flower Soft. I was so tempted to purchase the kit and try it on my own but I just bought a few little things instead. By the end of our two hours there, I had created the LFB above, and started a second one. I will post that too, when I figure out how I want to finish it.

I love the quote on the LFB, "Sweet calm days in golden haze, melt down the amber sky." As I mentioned, I've been working alot the past few days, and my commute is almost an hour each way. I have gotten out of work at 6pm and headed home with the sun glaring through my windshield and the heat built up on my dark grey interior. So with my visor and my windows down, my sunglasses on, and my radio blasting I've driven home as the sun sinks in the sky. The closer I get to home and the further north I get, the more I can smell summer. The most special summer days for me throughout my life have been spent at my Grandma's camp on Lake Algonquin. Since Jeff and I moved to Gloversville last Spring, we are a half hour closer to camp than I used to be when I lived with my parents. After a point in my drive home, its difficult to describe the scents that linger in the air, but they make me smile and think of summers splashing in the lake with my sisters, and roasting smores by the patio fireplace, or getting icecream at the little stand we dubbed "the spider shack" for the webs that collect at the top of the A-frame structure.

Driving home, I smell burning firewood, and barbeques, and fresh cut grass. The sky is amber and gold and the sun peaks from behind pine trees and over cow fields, and across miles and miles of country roads. I always complain that I hate driving, and that I hate the commute. It always adds at least two hours to my day and sometimes I just can't wait to be home...but lately, the drive home has been beautiful and it reminds me of what summer used to be about...lazy days and sunshine.

My First Stampassion Swap!

Vintage Children LFB Front

Vintage Children LFB Back

I'm so excited because Lori invited me to go with her to Little Fat Book Club tomorrow evening at Stampassion (a stamping store in Latham). I've wanted to try it out for quite awhile now, but it's a ways from my house so I haven't made the effort yet. They do a swap on club meeting nights, so I made one to join in. I'm looking forward to browsing the store's product selection and meeting some fellow crafters. I met Lori through my yahoo group and this will only be our second time hanging out in person. I love to talk to her on the phone, so I'm sure this will be a blast as well. We are carpooling to the store with her sister and meeting Ginger there. I look forward to posting the art that I get to create surrounded by such great talent!

Coffee or Tea? ATCs

Gossip & Tea

Tea Time

Cup 'o' Tea (with pull out tea bag)

Coffee Beans

These are ATCs for my May Coffee/Tea Party Swap. I was able to spend Saturday afternoon with Ginger and my sister creating. I think we all inspired each other and shared supplies and were quite productive. I even started my Alice in Wonderland ATCs for Ginger's swap, but I'll wait to post those pictures for when I'm done.

Miriam's "Here Comes the Bride" LFB Swap

This LFB is for Miriam's June Swap. I bought a pack of black, white, and red accents on clearance for a dollar at Michael's when I went out to visit Ginger the other day, so I decided to use a decorative tissue paper pack that I had in the same colors and give this theme a go. I decoupaged the background, stamped the flourishes and wedding cake, then attached the word tickets, flowers, jewels, and sequined trim. Wedding are usually so pastel and lacey and flowery, but I like the stark contrast of the red and black, along with the elegance. (It might also subconciously reflect my mood towards weddings right now, as I am jealous of the people in my life who have recently gotten engaged, while I'm still waiting for my day to come!) I had fun with this, and actually started a second one. I'll post a pic of that one when I'm finished. I have to make a graduation card for Jeff's twin sister first. She is graduating from Oneonta tomorrow with a degree in Childhood Education.

My Favorite Toy LFB Swap

I got the chance to work on my little fat book swap today while Jeff was catching up on some sleep from working all weekend and I made these. The first is using an image that Miriam gave me, and staying true to vintage chic. The second I made especially for my sister Elise who has gotten involved in In My Vintage Room swaps the last few months. The picture is of her and I when we were little. I guess, I really thought mom brought her home to be my baby doll and I toted her everywhere for as long as could--I think I even dropped her on occassion. She likes bright colors and tye-die, so I tried to make this one more colorful and child-like. She created two LFBs for the swap too, and told me to keep one. I posted my favorite as the home page of In My Vintage Room because it's absolutely adorable: she did her version of the Lollipop princess from Candyland. Toys from our childhood were the best...Popples, My Little Ponies, Barbies, Slinkies, Strawberry Shortcake, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pound Puppies and so much more. I think my favorite doll was one of my mom's--her Raggedy Ann, although my sister was pretty fun too.

Card Crazy!

Since I moved an hour away from my friend Ginger last Spring, I only get to see her about once a month...especially during my school semester. Now that I am done for the Summer, I was looking forward to visiting her today because she shares my passion for paper and Lofthouse cookies and we were able to create all afternoon! It's always hard for me to pack up supplies to work on projects somewhere other than in my art room. I have too much "stuff" and I feel like I never know what I "need." The easiest thing for me to make when I visit her is greeting cards. I find that I usually make cards as I need them, that way they are more personalized...but it's also handy to have some around for the last minute in case I'm busy or something comes up. I refuse to buy cards--ever! I made these 6 out of CTMH paper packs. The paper packs are easy to "grab-n-go" because they already have coordinating cardstock and patterned paper together. I just grabbed my acrylic block case and some sentiment and floral stamp sets and I was on my way. (I borrowed her ink--one less thing to pack). We work well together, because what I don't have, she does, and vice versa. We can also give each other ideas and advice--about art and life! So thanks Ginger for a fun afternoon!

Miriam's Vintage Children Swap

Group Shot

"Beautiful Baby" ATC

"So Big!" ATC

"Sewing Lesson" ATC

"A Mother's Love" ATC

These are ATCs that I created for Miriam's "Vintage Children" swap that she's hostessing in honor of Mother's Day. It's a 3 for 3 swap, but I created an extra for a hostess gift, because she is always kind enough to do the same for me. I was really productive yesterday...three Mother's day greeting cards, a scrapbook layout, and these 4 ATCs! You can probably notice that I drew inspiration from two of my greeting cards and made them into ATCs. I love these images, from Luna Girls clip art CDs that I bought off of ebay. Since the swap was in honor of mother's day I wanted to show the mother and child relationship.

Then, Now, Always

This is a scrapbook page I just made to frame and present to my mom tomorrow at her mother's day lunch. I wanted to add a personal touch to the manicure kit and Target gift card. She's getting harder and harder to buy for, so I hope this makes the day special!