confetti by lexi

ease on down the road!

yesterday's sweet card inspiration reminded me that i had not yet shared the cake i made for my daughter's big eighth grade play cast party. i've done theme cakes for the last couple of eighth grade classes. a castle for beauty and the beast, dice for guys & dolls. and now, the yellow brick road to the emerald city for the wiz.

i knew it was basically the wizard of oz, but i wanted the cake to fit with their vision. i thought about creating the house on top of the witch's legs, but i was told that wasn't a big moment in the play. i didn't know much about the scenery, except that they'd created gouache paintings that were being projected as the backdrops, but i hadn't seen them. so when mignon described the painting she did of the poppy field with the emerald city in the background, i finally had my inspiration.

she said their drawings of the emerald city were like upside down test tubes - thankfully easy enough to create in edible clay. for the yellow brick road, i found a texture mat with the brick pattern which was so much easier than my original plan of trying to "draw" it myself - my dad thought i had, but i fessed up! it's hard to see in the picture, but i added a little gold shimmer powder to the road and city. and the board is covered in black glitter paper covered in cellophane for even more sparkle. the shoes were taken from a muses mardi gras bracelet - silver as they were in the play. i had very limited time to put this cake together with all that was going on that week (and forgetting some of the supplies at the cash register at michael's - yikes!), so i was very happy when mignon said i nailed it! we made it to school in time to help set up, the performance was fantastic (one of the best, says this biased mom!), and everyone else loved the cake, too. yellow on the bottom, chocolate on top. many enjoyed it at the cast party along with all of the other party food, but i heard it was really demolished at the student lock in that followed.

sweet!
:) lexi

sunday stamping

i am often inspired by the moxie fab world's tuesday trigger but i don't always have time to get it done. i really wanted to play the last one, but the week sped by. and then this one popped up - what's not to love about pretty little petits fours?! i couldn't let two perfect inspiration pics go by, so when i finished a little organizing project yesterday, i just had to put trigger to paper and make it happen!

pink flowers, squares, woodgrain - the elements and layout of the image just begged for a literal translation in paper. so i did just that! a woodgrain embossed base card, layered with pink squares popped up on foam tape in a similar formation to the petits fours in the photo, topped with copic colored flowers with black pearl centers and curled up petals. i even added silver mirror paper banners to mimic the spatula. and to balance that, i formed the sentiment out of silver wire - total love!

i always have leftovers when i create, so rather than leave these to clutter my desk, i decided to use them to create a second card. the result still has the same elements - pink flower & square, woodgrain & silver - but the layout is more simplified and less literal. i debated whether or not to add a sentiment, worried that it was too simple. after letting it sit overnight, the simplicity won out. i like the prominence of the woodgrain with the simple single flower, and adding a sentiment seemed forced. if i decide to use the card for a specific occasion, i can easily add someting to the inside. it's always good to have a few open ended cards on hand, especially one that is so pretty and pink! thanks for the trigger, cath. i love a good inspiration pic and this definitely qualifies!

:) lexi

flashback friday :: diaper duty

i mentioned in this week's way back wednesday post that i had purchased the newspaper stamp for a possible birth announcement for my first child. the other set i purchased at the same time was cuddles and tickles. i used both to create a variety of ideas, and in the end, this is the design that won. i can't believe i had never shared it here, but a 14 year old project definitely qualifies for a flashback! there was an article on birth announcements in martha stewart living that came out right when i was looking for ideas, and this one caught my eye. they showed it with a bow on one, and a real diaper pin on another, but i had this great pin stamp, so i immediately saw the possibilities. and i loved that i could slip a photo cut to the same size into the diaper with the announcement card. and there you have it, my first big stamping project. not much stamping, but i traced, cut, assembled, stamped and colored a lot of them! while i never showed this exact design here, i did share a later version in my invitations and announcements photo album - a printed striped diaper in bright colors for a baby shower. i've even made mini gift card ones. this is one of those baby designs that will always be relevant!

:) lexi

show and tell time

last week i participated in a trunk show, which has had me busy catching up with orders that were already in progress, along with creating for all the new orders that came in over the two day show. as the stationery girl on board, i created the invitation, too - i had so much fun with that clothes line of little towels! i had not done a show like this in a long time, so i had to put together a few displays to highlight my work.

i already had these boards which i loan to auctions when i donate gift certificates, so that was at least something to start with. they feature recent or favorite projects and double as artwork on the wall of my studio. since these often travel without me, i tried to include a variety of invitations and other cards, and i switch things up every now and then. i think i still have to blog about one or two things up there! for the trunk show, i surrounded them with even more invitations to look at and hold - i've done quite a few things that are interactive and need to be touched!

i don't have a catalog because most of what i create is custom, but after doing this, i feel the need to pull together a better compilation of certain designs, especially those for stickers and gift enclosures. i've done so many over the years! so this time, in addition to scattering samples all over my table, i created an example page of each of the main shapes of stickers i print and put them in table tent frames, along with a couple of other important signs, like a basic price list and a note that everything is customizable! i even created my own scan image for those tech types who wanted to scan themselves directly to my blog - so cool!

and last, but not least, i put out a basket of seasonal cards from those that i've posted here. i pull from this basket whenever i need one for a gift or note, but i've never been able to send as many as i create. i have a few regulars who like to pull from it too. it makes me happy to know that they actually get used! i sold several birthday and congratulations cards this go round. overall, the show was a success! i think i have a few more things to make the next time i do a trunk show, but it's a process. while this one is over, my blog is really an ongoing trunk show, right? so, if there's anything you need to freshen up for spring, just let me know!

:) lexi

way back wednesday :: bubbles & banners

how about another round of way back wednesday? this time, i decided to pull out photo album fun, a stamp set from my very first stampin' up! order. playing with this set was a little like wearing that random saved item of clothing that has made it back in style again. trends can be very cyclical - speech bubbles and banners are all over the place lately, yet this set is circa 1998! i've always had a thing for speech bubbles and often draw my own to custom fit various sentiments, both by hand and on the computer. i kind of forgot i had these! for my first card, i decided to build a rainbow with the different bubbles, adding in a pop of black and white with card stock and washi tape - clean and simple, light and bright. i esecially love that the words from comfort food additions are a perfect fit!

next up, i created a birthday card using the banner. like the main speech bubble above, it is fussy cut and popped up. where were the dies? lol! the trio of stars is also from the set. once again, i got stuck on black and white and rainbow all over. it's such a happy color story, perfect for congrats and birthdays. plus the six stars were just begging for roygbv!

and last, but not least, the front page news. the newspaper was actually the main reason i bought this set. i designed a birth announcment option with it while waiting for my first baby, but after having a girl, another design won out. i still love that little newspaper and how you can personalize the headline. again, i chose a few comfort food additions sentiments for a sweet congrats card, clustering the elements together to create a unified focal point. the cartoon sound effect bubble is a fun way to add a pop of color, while the chevron washi arrow points us in the right direction. chances are you have a few bubbles and banners in your collection, so go have fun! if not, a quick search will turn up several options...

happy stamping!
:) lexi

flashback friday :: berry basket

it's day three of the countdown to the papertrey ink april release. since i don't have any new sets this month, i thought it would be fun to flash back to another april release, april 2007. i submitted this berry basket card to the guest star stamper contest that month using green thumb from the previous release. i didn't win, but nichole gave it an honorable mention on her blog the next day. which was just as exciting and so much fun! look at those berries and that basket, all cut without dies. the square holes are from a punch, carefully lined up. and even the scallop was an old stampin' up! slot punch trick. we've got it so easy now!!

happy weekend!
:) lexi

original post on nichole's blog: april 16, 2007
more with green thumb here: april 15, 2007

rocker baby

in keeping with the theme i began earlier this week, i have another stationery set from the not yet shared file. i had designed a really cool and unique music poster inspired couple shower invitation for this customer and she wanted to give the family a set of notecards and gift stickers with the baby's name using the same guitar. traditional baby and kid themes are great, but i love when i get fun requests that are a little out of the ordinary. got a rocker girl? i think it would look pretty in pink, too!

:) lexi

way back wednesday :: fish lips

i've been stamping for about 15 years. at first it was all about starting my collection and having a variety of images. i signed up with stampin' up! in order to do just that - can you believe we had no michael's in new orleans? i shopped at stamp stores in florida whenever i visited my cousin, and i was so jealous! finally a michael's came to town, as well as a couple of scrapbooking stores, and eventually, i started branching out. i found myself away from home for about 4 months (thanks, katrina) without stamps or any crafting supplies at first, but i picked up a laptop along the way to stay connected. so of course i got hooked on splitcoast galleries and then blogs, which were starting to gain popularity at the time. i decided that blogging would be a good way to showcase my invitations and stationery designs for easy access to customers and i could share stamped cards too - bonus! it took me a little while after moving back home to get started, but once i did in january of 2007, i was hooked. i stamped almost every day at times, sharing my printed work, cakes, and parties as well. the collecting continued in order to keep posting, i fell in love with specific companies, and then i was asked to join a couple of design teams. all of that adds up to a lot of stamps!! and i've never sold a single one. i worry that as soon as i do, i'll need it for something - crazy, i know! eventually, i may get around to pruning the collection down, but i have fond memories of so many images. i can actually picture myself stamping with some! of course, i'm still buying (and designing!) new things, too, but that doesn't mean i have to throw out the old, right? so i figured that for now, i'd have a little fun and stroll down memory lane from time to time with a new stamping feature i've decided to call way back wednesday - not very original, i guess, but it is what it is. i'd like to say i'll do this every wednesday, but work takes over sometimes. i have lots of old favorites to keep me coming back, so i'll definitely try!

i decided to kick it off with the very first stamp i owned as an adult, fish lips by all night media. my friend melanie gave it to me - i know i had a thing for fish, and i've always been crafty, so i think that was why she thought it was perfect for me. i may have already been designing stationery at the time, but i was definitely not stamping yet. i'm pretty sure i kept it on my desk in my first grade classroom and i don't think i stamped with it for a very long time. but i love that i still have it! she's always kind of reminded me of the rainbow fish, so that was the inspiration for my cards today. i started off with a very simple design showcasing her one-of-a-kind rainbow appeal, standing out among others. it's hard to see but she has shimmery glitter pen details on her fins and spots and lips to make her stand out even more. and then with a fun wave washi + a few sequins, fish lips has forgotten all about that little ©1989 on her wood block, swimming right into 2K13! do you remember your very first stamp? and even better, do you still have it?!

:) lexi

construction zone

how about a boy design today? the request was for a little boy, something construction themed, possibly a dump truck. which was exciting, since i had actually drawn a dump truck (with moving parts!) several years ago for a construction themed birthday party.

so i resized the truck, added a road, and used it for a couple of layouts along with an alternate design for my idea pitch. it's hard to see in the picture, but the first initial is also on the boy driver's hard hat. and on the one with the name on the truck door, i included the birth year. i love personalizing things in interesting ways! like the cards from yesterday, i will add these to my etsy store very soon. it's been a crazy busy back-to-work week around here - i really miss spring break!

:) lexi

later gator!

i'm trying to start making a dent in my pile of things to share this week, starting with a few printed stationery designs that i plan to add to my etsy shop later this week. these are perfect for writing letters from camp or writing letters to friends at camp. or in the case of the ones above, a little stack of personal stationery to have on hand for a sweet little girl.

if you want to order stationery, you don't need to order directly from another sample. you can just give me colors to try and maybe an image or two you'd like to see and i'll run with it. in this case, i started with some designs i'd done for another customer, recreating a few layouts in different colors, with options for both fold over and flat notes, showcasing several different fonts. the idea is that any of the elements - layout, color scheme, font, and border detail - can be mixed and matched to make the perfect layout for that person.

this page of layouts was my basis for the selection above, but this customer had specifically asked for flat notes. the mother (who was doing the actual ordering) had seen some of my gator notes with pink gators, but the daughter (heading off to camp) requested orange ones - i love it when kids make some of their own design decisions! again, all of the layouts, colors and fonts were mix and match ready. two customers, similar notes, but perfectly personalized just for them.

later!
:) lexi