Easy Graduation Presents: Altered Frames...

When you work in academia, you end up needing several graduation presents each year, so I make them when possible to cut down on costs.  Here are a few picture frames I altered using K&Company's Que Sera Sera paper as matts & Tim Holtz stamps.  Just need to put in a university related pic before wrapping.

Mother's day is just around the corner

So, trying to decide if these cards are ready to go in the mail or if then need an additional touch or two.  I needed to come up with some inexpensive graduation presents as I have several students graduating this year so decided to do monogrammed match book sticky note holders for a few of them. 

This then inspired the first Mother's Day card that I'm sending to my mom:

I used the Alphalicious cartridge for the match book & crown, cut three flowers from Gypsy Wanderings that I attached with a brad, & the Happy Mother's Day is from Wild Card. 

Since I was looking through the Wild Card cartridge for sentiments, I decided to choose a card shape I haven't used before for my mother in law's card.  The sentiment is also from Wild Card, & the butterfly is from Give a Hoot. 

The paper used for the base of both cards is K&Company's Que Sera Sera (which I love).  So, you decide, too simplistic or ready to go?  [need to still add the gift cards to each]  Unfortunately, they can't be too elaborate as they both must go in the mail.

Feel Better Card

A friend of mine is having surgery next week so I wanted to make her a "feel better" card and decided to make it a pop up card.  

I used the new Tags, Bags, Boxes & More 2 cartridge I just received in the mail for the front sentiment and then used the alphabet from Designer's Calendar for the "soon". The flower is from Gypsy Waunderings (cut 3 of each & assembled with a brad in the middle).

Mom's birthday card

So I know the next month is going to be crazy & I'll have little time to make cards so I decided to make my mom's card almost a month early.  This is a first for me as I generally do things at the last minute.  She loves owls so I used the Owl from Gypsy Wanderings.  The flowery branch is from Pagoda & the happy birthday sentiment is from Paper Lace.  I am determined to make a card using every cartridge I have so I can justify getting more, lol...

Valentines day is almost upon us...

So we don't go all out for Valentine's day but there is an expectation for a card (& a sweet treat, of course!).  For this card, I used Life is a Beach for the fish & fish bowl (which were welded together on the Gypsy); Wild Card for the phrase; Paper Pups for the heart on the outside & Gypsy Wanderings for the heart on the inside. 

The card was inspired by Pink Floyd ... oh how I love the song Wish You Were Here .... since it is kind of dark, I didn't use the lyrics but the line "we're just 2 lost souls swimming in a fish bowl" inspired the card's theme.  

I submitted the card to Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #97 (use a heart on a project) & to Cardz TV's challenge #101 "Be my valentine".

Couple of get well cards

So in the last two weeks I've had two relatives (my grandma & my partner's uncle) who have been in the hospital due to illness (both experiencing dehydration).  Decided to make a couple of cards to hopefully make them feel a little better knowing that someone is thinking of them.

For the first card, I used the new Ribbons & Rosettes cartridge {bird2 on p. 48}.  I linked 4 of the rosette cuts (at 2" high) to make a half rosette (you would need 6-8 to make a full rosette).  Its hard to tell in the pic, but the sentimate ribbon is actually raised with pop dots.  The patterned paper is K&Company Que Sera Sera.  I'm hoping that it will survive the mail!  Didn't really set out for it to have a summery feel, but decided to submit it to the Cricut Cardz Challenge #100 which coincidentally happens to be to make a card incorporating aspects of summer. 

For the second card, I used Wild Card to cut a band aid card and Pagoda to cut the panda.  I ran the layer for the card through my texture boutique using a Tim Holtz embossing folder to get a sun ray effect.  Both the sun ray & panda are elevated using pop dots.

The sentiment inside both cards was printed on my color printer & reads: "If wishes could make you well…you’d be better already!" [scraplifted from a stamp I saw online (maybe on Everyday Cricut?) while looking for inspiration for get well cards]. 

Birthday card

Since getting the Wild Card cartridge I have to admit that I haven't used it that much.  With my dad's birthday a week before halloween I decided to try out another card from the cartridge (& finally use the 12x24 mat I got) & made him this pumpkin themed birthday card.