Good-bye Summer...

Well hello again and Happy Labor Day to my American friends!

I can't believe summer is pretty well past.  It was a whirlwind!  Especially since there's now a Mr. Squirrel living in the nuthouse.  :-)  We were married June 29, so between planning for the big day and adjusting to married life, summer flew by and crafting / blogging were the furthest things from my mind!

I wanted to do a quick post to let you all know that I've been back in the craft room and will have things to share with you very soon!

Hope you enjoyed the unofficial "last weekend of summer"!

Paper Squirrel

CCC #17: Star Spangled Banner

Happy Memorial Day!

Our two-week theme at Creative Cutting Challenge is "Fourth of July", but this patriotic project is perfect for today as well.  Come join the fun!

Some Details

• I'll admit it, my goal for this project was "keep it simple"!  I don't have a lot of spare time these days as the wedding is only a month away, so I used the pinwheel star from The Creative Pointe's "Patriotic Set" to create this festive banner.  It's super quick to make because it's all multiples of the same cut.  

• The stars are about 4-1/4 inches high.  I love the bold graphic design and dimension achieved with the simple red/white and blue/white stars.

• I used my smallest punch to add holes to two of the points, then used a needle to string the stars onto white cotton crochet thread. 
• For a festive touch...and to keep the stars in place...I tied short lengths of red and white gingham ribbon between each star.
• And to finish things off, I added small red buttons to the center of each blue star.  

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Stampin’ Up! ‘Night of Navy’; Papertrey Ink ‘Pure Poppy’, ‘White’
SVG:	The Creative Pointe’s ‘Patriotic Set’
Embellishments:	Gingham ribbon; buttons; crochet thread ‘White’
Tools:	SCAL; Cricut Expression; hole punch

CCC #16: Number One Dad

June and summer fun will be here before you know it, so join us at Creative Cutting Challenge with our two-week “Father's Day” theme and get a jump start on a card for dad's special day!

I paired washi tape with The Creative Pointe's "Number One Dad" SVG file to create a quick and quirky card for my dad.

Some Details:

• I started with Stampin' Up!'s "Confetti White" cardstock.  This had the festive look I wanted, but wasn't quite "confetti enough", so I flicked on some red paint using a toothbrush.  
• After cutting the pieces of "Number One Dad" from cardstock, I added washi tape to the tie portion to create a fun and wacky tie...you know, the kind that dads usually get from their kid's on Father's Day!

• A thick layer of Glossy Accents provides just the right amount of dimension to the "Number One" section.

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Stampin’ Up! ‘Confetti White’, ‘Ballet Blue’; Papertrey Ink ‘Smokey Shadow’
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Number One Dad’
Inks:	Americana acrylic paint ‘Cherry Red’; fine tip Sharpie
Embellishments:	Washi tape
Tools:	SCAL; Cricut Expression; toothbrush; bone folder

A Card for Dad...on Mom's Day

Happy Mother's Day 

to all the moms out there!

At Card A Day Blog, we work about a month ahead with our themes, so ironically, this week's Father's Day theme starts today!  I'm kicking things off with a fun and easy washi tape card for dad.

A Couple Details:

• This card can be made in a flash!  I just ran rows of alternating washi tapes the length of my card.  I left about 1/8 inch between each strip and tore the ends.  I love the transparency of the tape...seeing a bit of the base color come through really pulls it all together.
• Next, I stamped the fun greeting in black on soft stone stock.  I tattered the edges and added just a touch of color with Distress Markers.  I attached the square to the base with foam tape to give it dimension from the washi background.

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Papertrey Ink ‘Spring Moss’, ‘Soft Stone’
Stamps:	Inkadinkadoo ‘Happy Father’s Day’
Inks:	Archival ‘Jet Black’; Distress Markers
Embellishments:	Washi tape; Tim Holtz tissue tape ‘Symphony’
Tools:	TH paper distresser; Stamp-a-ma-jig; bone folder; 3M foam tape

Gentlemen, Let's Offer Our Congratulations...

That's what I think Tim's stately gents are saying on this card.  J

We're letting you choose your own theme this week at Card A Day Blog, so as today's featured designer, I'm sharing a card created for my nephew's high school graduation in June.  It needed to be masculine, yet celebratory, so I turned to a bold yellow, black and grey color scheme and a Tim Holtz stamp.  His school colors are gold and brown, so I thought this was a nice nod in that direction as well.

Some Details:

• The bright yellow base was toned down just a touch with my new favorite technique of swiping white acrylic paint along the edges.
• I love the combination of the modern graphic polka dot paper with the vintage gentlemen stamped in black on soft grey stock.  To give the grey a little pop and dimension, I dragged a black ink pad along the edges.  This gave it just the thinnest black edge.

• The bold banner diecut adds to add to that celebratory feel.  This was a straight border diecut that I gently curved and glued into place.  Some black and white baker's twine finishes  off the banner / bunting look.

Although I find I only make them when necessary, I really enjoy the challenge of creating masculine cards.  It's a great re-set to the creative juices!

Challenges:

Eclectic Ellapu: Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations: April Challenge - Special Occasions

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Stampin’ Up! ‘Yo-Yo Yellow', ‘Sahara Sand’, ‘Confetti White’
Patterned Paper:	Authentique ‘Blissful’ 6x6
Stamps:	Tim Holtz ‘Curious Possibility’; SU! ‘Warmest Regards’
Inks:	Archival ‘Jet Black’; Adirondack paint dabber ‘Snow Cap’
Embellishments:	Bazzill Just the Edge cardstock strip ‘Beetle Black’; Darice baker’s twine ‘Black / White’
Tools:	Stamp-a-ma-jig; Memory Maker’s ribbon glue; decorative edge scissors