Older Still Works!

Hello Crafty Friends!

I know we all have a few supplies in our stash, and if you are like me some of them have been around for awhile. How many of you remember these punches from Fiskars?

Fiskars Stamp Punch Set

I love these edge punches and used them several times in the past. Somehow they got lost in the back of my stamp drawer, but I found them and created this card.

I thought this leaf pattern paired nicely with the image of the tree on the paper. I sprayed the front of the card with Imagine Sheer Shimmer Spray. It gives a nice finish to the card, it reminded me of the morning dew you find on the tree leaves.

This is a card I created several years ago using one of the Fiskar punches. Looking back at the cards I created, I can see the progress and changes in the cards I have made. Always room for improvement!

I will be creating more cards using these punches now that I have rediscovered them. Punches seemed to have been tossed to the way side to make room for the many die cuts we use in our machines now, but I will continue to use my old supplies. Older still works!

Enjoy your crafty day and thank you for visiting my blog!

~~~ Vickie Horsfall ~~~

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Wedding Card Created from the Invitation

I hope this new year has started off on a positive note for you. Our calendar is filling up with all sorts of travel and fun events. One of the exciting celebrations was the marriage of my son’s childhood friend.

As usual, I took the invitation for the wedding and designed a wedding card from it. It’s always a bit tricky to decide how to create these cards, but that is part of of the fun!

This was the invitation, both front and back. Such pretty colors of dark blues, pinks, and creams.

This is the finished card I created for the newlyweds! Since we attended this wedding, I added a flower created from the back of the invitation on the envelope for an extra touch!

Congratulations to Marissa and Matt and best wishes for a wonderful journey through life as husband and wife!

If you are attending a wedding this year, I would love to create the wedding card for you!
Contact me at horsemarkcards@gmail.com for special requests or information.

Thank you for visiting today!

~~ Vickie ~~

Creating Your Own Craft Dies!

(This post was originally published in April, 2016.)

Over the years I have collected an assortment of crafting dies. When SpellBinders came out with their thin dies I was so intrigued with the many shapes they offered. I selected some basic shapes I thought I would use and soon found myself purchasing smaller label shaped dies.  (I know many of you have your own collections of die cuts too!)

When I create my cards, I usually use border shaped dies and labels. The stamps I use for the greeting are usually put on a popped up label, with a background label to accent it. Sometimes the next sized die is a bit bigger for my needs.  So, I discovered a way to create a die that is my right size. I thought I would share my little discovery with you!

I simply cut out another die that I already used for the stamped greeting. Then I cut that die in half, so as to stretch it out to fit both ends of my original die cut message. I attach each piece to the message and I have a background accented greeting that is the perfect size!   Sometimes I just cut out the same  shape in the next size and us it as an added background. I think it adds a new dimension to the card. (I chose not to use the bigger background on this card as I thought it was too large.)

Many of the dies today are sold in nesting groups so you won’t have to use this technique. However, some of the labels in my stash may need a little background help. This is also a great way to use paper scraps!

I also decided to use a Memory Box flower die to accent this card.  I popped it over an embossed background and am pleased with the results.  What do you think?

I hope this little trick is helpful to you the next time you need to have the perfect size background die for your project!

Enjoy your creative day and thank you for visiting!

~~ Vickie

Free iPhone Screen Cover!

We are still settling into our new home and enjoying our neighborhood. When the rain finally stopped and the sun came out, I decided to take a walk with my poodle pooch, Robbie.

I always take my phone with me when I walk, just in case I get an important call or message. Well, my phone dinged and I stopped to pull it out of my pocket to check on who was messaging me. Robbie doesn’t like me to stop when he is walking, so naturally he pulled a bit on his leash and down my phone went! Of course it landed face down on the sidewalk!

If you’re like me, you can’t be without your cell phone. ( I can’t believe I lived without one for most of my life! However did I manage!)
A new phone was needed immediately!

If you are also like me, you hate setting foot into a cell phone service store! I don’t mean to disrespect the employees, but I do disrespect the high prices on the services and products they have to offer. Like the $40 screen protector they wanted me to buy! I just spent over $500 on a phone and now you want me to spend more? I could get a less expensive screen protector somewhere else.

So, I did. I spent $15 on a screen protector that was supposed to be every bit as good as the higher priced ones. Yea, I know. My husband gave me the “You get what you pay for” look. When I carefully put it on my phone, the ‘bubbles’ would not come out! It was a mess! (In my frustration, I failed to get a picture of it.). Needless to say, it was taken off after several attempts to smooth it out.

I just wasted money, but I knew I needed something to protect the face of my phone, especially since I keep it a little case that also holds a few essential cards & cash. I was not going to spend another $40, so I decided to come up with my own solution.

This idea works for me. It is easy to flip the cloth over to see the screen when I use it. I tilt the phone a bit when I close it and the fabric cloth falls into place so I can close my phone case. It also keeps my screen cleaner and didn’t cost me a dime!

Every now and then I offer up an idea that has nothing to do with designing handmade cards. So this is another little creative tip that I hope will be useful for someone!

Thanks for visiting today and I wish you another creative day!

~~Vickie~~

Too Many Embellishments?

Hello!

I’m popping in to share a little idea I came up with while I was sorting keys after our recent move.

There are many ways to identify keys. Instead of putting them on a bulky key ring, I decided to add a little tag to give the key a name.

Since I was sitting in my creative room to sort the keys, I realized I had so many embellishments that I could put to another use! These tiny metal tags were perfect! I have had them for so long and rarely use them, so I was excited to repurpose them.

I just used my fine tip Sharpie permanent marker to identify the key. A simple idea, but it used up a few items in my craft stash!

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you enjoy your creative day!

~~ Vickie ~~