Closing Down the Blog:

Please note that I will no longer be updating this blog. Due to circumstances beyond my control, Freckled Fun is no more. I have started a new blog/website. The explanation is on the new website.

Please join me at:

FreckledANDFun

http://www.freckledandfun.com
and
http://freckledandfun.blogspot.com

Kindergarten Keepsake

I am a big proponent of spoiling my children's teachers. They do so much for my kids! I am the mom who collects money and photos at the end of the year for class gifts. I decided this year that I would make a scrapbook for the teacher. I have enough designer paper to decorate Saratoga county, so why not! You can't take it with you - you HAVE to use it, right?

This paper is from my Costco slab. I swear I will use one of my three slabs in full one day. Progress - this used several sheets. What I love about that slab is that there are a few pieces that coordinate so nicely! This paper from the cover is just so fun - it screams happy. Isabella's teacher is just that type: fun, loving, happy.

I took the 12x12 sheets and cut them into 6x6 squares. The covers (front and back) required a little more sturdiness, so I used a piece of chipboard and cut it down to a 6x6 square. I found the 12x12 chipboard on the back of a pack of Stampin' Up! designer paper. Check your designer paper packs - I am sure you have some chipboard SOMEWHERE in your stash!

Does anyone remember the Rubicoil rage (pre-bind it all) of a few years back? I jumped on the bandwagon and purchased enough coils to make a plethora of books. I should do a rubicoil class. Yeah, that's the ticket! So I have the Rubicoil (henceforth called Rubi). I punched the chipboard with the Rubi and created my base for the covers. Then carefully, I punched the designer paper, making sure that it was evenly placed in the Rubi. Sometimes you think you have the paper lined up in the Rubi and it is not fully in and you don't get a nice edge to your punching.

I butterbacked the front and back covers with a mixture of mono adhesive on the edges and scotch quick drying paper glue in the center. I placed the 6x6 designer paper back to back and adhered them together with mono adhesive. Thread the coil through the holes and pinch the end of the coils with a pair of pliers. The inside pages are held together nicely with the coil on one side, so focus your mono placement on the corners and edges so that the pages line up nicely. The font cover and back cover needed a little something more, so I carefully attached the book corners. I actually used my crop-a-dile to set them. Just pinch away with the crop-a-dile - easy peasy lemon squeezy!

I finished the front cover with a title, punched with a nestability die cut. I printed the wording up on my computer and then punched it out. I used the sakura stardust in teal to dot the scalloped border. I had some prima flowers in my stash which I held together with a brad and adhered to the front cover with some SU! dimensionals. They give some lift, but not too much lift! I took a green prima and snipped it apart with my paper snips and used a dab of scotch adhesive to place it under the flower. It kind of looks like a leaf, right? I used some fun ribbon (Mayarts/starlitstudio) in orange/white polka dot and teal/brown polkadot. Tell Cindy you need this ribbon! LOL!
The pages were so easy to throw together. I typed out the kids names and punched them with my SU! punches (some in oval, some in the designer label punch). The color of the paper inside is bold - but for some reason, everyone looked so good in orange. It coordinated SO nicely with the kids clothing. Seriously!

I typed out some fun poems (the 100 year poem, the Roots and Wings statement) and placed them in the front and back of the book.

We are presenting this to the teacher on Thursday at Kindergarten graduation.
My friend Bevie gave me this great idea about personalized chairs for the teacher.
This seemed like a stellar ideas, so I went to the Summer Section at the Tarjay. They have that Whim by Cynthia Rowley collection. (it was 50% off last week - this week 75% off!)
I grabbed the folding captains chairs in the green and blue stripes. On the back of the chair, I used my Sharpie Markers and wrote:
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
2007-2008
Kindergarten
Miss Morse
(I did this for all the teachers) They loved them!

What special things do you do for your kid's teachers?
Post a link in the comment section. I am always looking for new ideas.

New Photos....

Waves Hello!
I got my hair cut yesterday!

Chop Chop!

Some days I just tell Jill to do what she wants - this time, I let her really go to town. We cropped the back really short and for the first time in years, I cannot do a ponytail at the pool. I like it, but it is going to take some getting used to!

Here is Todd with the Kiddos after church. The girls all dressed in the pink and sherbert colors. Todd and I were dressed in blue floral (Todd in his favorite Hawaiian shirt). I placed a nice blue Hawaiian shirt for Xavier to wear. I got out to the van in the morning heading to church and noticed a mini Michael Strahan look alike sitting in the second row car seat. Hmm. I swore I set out a blue Hawaiian shirt. Little stinker. Course Michael announced his retirement this week, so I suppose it was okay for him to wear the jersey. Mind you, he had it on with penny loafers. {spew} Anyone who has an independent thinker knows that if they are getting dressed on their own, don't pick a battle. Let them do what they want within reason.

So here is my man with his favorite six pack!

Happy Father's Day Honey

Happy Father's Day to the Love of My Life!

{atop the eiffel tower}

What do you give to the man who has everything his little heart desires?

I just don't know - other than a beautiful hand made card.

I got Todd a beautiful black and white landscape painting of Paris for his office. I also got him American Idol for the Wii (they were out of Wii fit).


Most people wonder how I do it with six kids. There is only one piece of that puzzle - and that is Todd. He is the most incredible father you can imagine. His heart is huge and his love for me and the kids is so unending. He is my soulmate. Who else could oblige my addition to papercrafting without questioning that I need to do it (sometimes he questions it, but rarely).
Today he left me go get my hair done - we put the younger two down for naps and he took the rest of the kids to the pool. (He actually loves going to the pool with the kids).
I was able to have a few uninterrupted hours to create in my office.

One of the creations was a card for Todd.chocolate, real red, white & wasabi papers
black ink, su markers and aquapainter
papertrey ink stamp {father knows best}
ribbon, dimensionals (SU!)
sewing

This is also a FS71 card, based on Denise's card HERE

I didn't round the edges - I sewed around the card
changed the colors and stamp sets. I used Papertrey's Father Knows best and did some watercoloring.
I loved her double ribbon, but since it is a Father's day card, I kept it to one ribbon.
Love your cards Denise!

Happy Birthday Taylor

Happy Birthday Taylor!

I met Taylor in real life this past April at SCSM5

(to give you an idea of how TALL and beautiful she is -- I am 5'6" and I think I was on my tippy toes.)
Every inch of Taylor oozes with elegance and grace (AND TALENT)

I had gone to So. Cal in October to surprise my sister for her 40th birthday. I thought I would have met Taylor that day, but Joy said something about her going to get pancakes at a gas station. I was confused...but I guess the girl likes her pancakes. This is the delicious food I am bringing to Taylor's party!

Here is my card for her!

I used Things Hanna would say and Perfect Package {Hanna Stamps}
black archival ink
kraft, black and white SU! paper
wild asparagus designer paper
SU! brads and dimensionals
May arts ribbon
the image was colored with reinkers and an aquapainter (bashful and amethyst)
Bling-i-fied with sakura stardust

This card is for FS71 (denidill)

I based it on Denise's card (HERE)

I changed: colors, stamp set, moved the layout around a little bit.
I moved the ribbon to the other side, put the sentiment on the bottom right corner. I loved the extra pop of black cardstock underneath. I put it under my designer paper and main image.

Changes: colors, stamp sets

If I lived in California - I would have a California car. Why? Because you can have the top down how many days a year (pretty much every day). Plus, if you ever get called to be in the Rose Parade, you can have a kewl ride to sit in the back and wave! I can see Taylor driving around in this car, big white scarf around her neck.
Here is my gift to you Taylor - but next time I am in Cali - we are going on a spin (Hwy 1)
I will bring my sunglasses - we can be two hot chickies in a red car!

Happy Birthday Girlfriend!

Stamp Sets For Sale

I have several retired stamp sets (All Stampin' Up!) for sale

In no particular order

• mini messages
• wee wishes
• simply the best
• peace and comfort
• love without end
• noteable notes
• oh my word
• something to celebrate
• garden blocks
• small talk
• angel faces
• quick and cute
• long stemmed

I also have several retired SU! idea book and catalogs

send me an email at freckledfun@gmail.com for prices and photos

A portion of all sales will benefit Hannah's Hope Fund

FS70: YLM

Well, here is my rocket card. I am no rocket scientist! I started the card (below) and realized it was a case of FS67 (Dawn) in Cindy's gallery - so I had to go back to square one. So I chose this card:

based on Cindy's card: HERE.

I changed the background to wasabi, used the same cuttlebug folder (number collage), then used the same stamp set, just a different stamp. I colored in the rocket with copics and sakura stardust. Cindy had used an Amuse notecard atop the main card base, I used some old SU! designer paper. I cut it into a 3x3 square and then placed the main image atop it with dimensionals. The matted nestability is on navy cardstock. I used some mayarts ribbon and three mini baubles (adhered with a quickie glue pen). This was a fun card to case, Thank you Cindy!

Here is my boo boo card:

Ha! I goofed - I should have read her description more!~ This was the card I cased!
I started with a white 5x5 base, added some fun designer paper (mme/wa) and then a strip of rose red across the bottom. I used regal, then rose for the matting, then a nestabilitied turquoise mat, and the white main image. I stamped Happy Birthday from the new Kitchen Sink Stamp set Baseball. It is a great font, amazing versatile set - so I used that fun font for the card! Instead of the big flower, I used a button with a turqoise prima atop that. I added a mini bauble to the center of the flower. There was some fun ribbon I had in my stash, which had the turquoise and chocolate colors from the designer paper. I added that to the card, set the main image up on dimensionals and finished the card, only to realize it was a case of a case! DOH!

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supplies:

Card 1:
stamp: pun fun
paper: wasabi, whisper white, navy, su! dp

ink: black archival, copics, sakura
misc: nesties, dimensionals, ribbon (mayarts), baubles (mini)

Card 2:
stamps: baseball {kitchen sink stamps}
paper: tempting turqoise, regal rose, rose red, whisper white
ink: tempting turquoise
misc: ribbon, nestabilities, button, prima, baubles (mini), dimensionals.

A Shade Late....

This was a real fun card to make. Look at this awesome pomegranate paper that I found in my Wild Asparagus pack from Costco. I swear I will never use all the sheets, but I am gonna die trying! This is a 5x5 card. Simple stamped image - some paper piecing and then the sentiment is printed on the computer. Black was used for the matting. Three black brads in the corner complete the design.

Stamp: Hanna Bookworm
Ink: Copics & archival black
Paper: WA/MME, whisper white, basic black
misc: dimensionals, brads

KSS: June Hailey's gift

This past weekend, Bella had a birthday party. I like to give unique gifts along with the regular store bought goodie. I have a stash of these little piggies and I used some alcohol inks (Red Pepper (Tuscan Garden) and Wild Plum (Nature walk) {available at Eclectic Paperie - HERE
These inks are awesome - one of the best craft investments I have made. I was able to use those inks to create a mesh of color, not too red, not too magenta. I used the flowers from Hey Chick {Kitchen Sink Stamps}. I also used Mix It Up! Alphabet (also KSS) to stamp Hailey's name on the pig. I went over the sweet spots with a copic marker (on the chisel edge). I also went over the petals of the flower just slightly. I added random dots to the pig to give it some style. What pig doesn't look good in polkadots?

I made the card to match the pig, althought the dots in the designer paper are chocolate chip (as is the main card base). I used the close to cocoa ink for the Happy and Friend and the Birthday is Pixie Pink. I also used the flowers from Happy Birthday Cupcake {Kitchen Sink Stamps}
The nestabilites come in handy when creating a main image. I used the scalloped circle for the chocolate, and a plain circle for the Whisper white. A little wide SU! grossgrain ribbon and some dimensionals pop the sentiment right up on the card. Simple card - very fun. There is some small bling in the center of each flower (courtesy of my sakura stardust).
Check out all the new Kitchen Sink Stamp sets - now available at the Store!

One of a kind

Life is so crazy. I wanted to run out tonight and just rush around with one child and instead I ended up taking all six of them with me to the mall. Why drag six children to the mall on a school night? Well, it was to see a photograph which Karen did at school which was selected for display in the District's gallery (in the mall). It was hotter than h-e-double toothpicks in the mall storefront where they had the art display. When we arrived (all six in tow), there was a chorus from one of the schools performing. As we approached the store, they started singing Edelweiss. Of course my children had to pipe in. Sophie at the top of her little lungs. It was at that moment, I knew that I was supposed to be there with ALL the kids. Enjoy ALL the kids. We admired Karens display and took a photo. Sophie had to be picked up because she wanted to lean against the display walls holding the artwork. I kept telling her that the wall would fall down, but she continued to lean against it. Eventually, Mom won and I picked the stubborn Sophie up in my arms. Then I lost, because Sophie in a hot, crowded storefront full of parents, art teachers and children is not an angel. She is a monster. And she wailed like a Monster....on a sugar high....

We made a quick exit, and rushed from the mall to the Girl Scout meeting. Karen went into the meeting, I put Flushed Away on DVD in the van and alphabetized all the contacts in my cell phone. I never get down time like that. I raced home, got the kids showered, bathed, teeth brushed, hair brushed, and then read them books....they were in bed by 9. Phew! Normally they are in bed at 7:30/8:00 (with the exception of Karen who lingers and reads until 8:30 or 9:00.)
I felt like the day was a whirlwind! We hit the new preschool and saw the classrooms where Xavier and Sophie will be going next fall. We went to the school a few times to drop off items. Some days, I look back on the day and I forget how I got from point A to point B. I really need to slow down...take some time....stop and smell the flowers. I love this shot. I took it in Monet's garden. Look at how beautiful these colors are! Take a moment - stop and look around you....enjoy your little moments.....

Hannah's Hope Fund

I am participating in this fund raiser locally. If anyone is in the Capital District Area, please stop by this worth while event and help out Hannah! There is no cure for G.A.N and there is currently no funding for research. I spent Friday night with Miss Hannah at our PTA sponsored event and we gave 50% of our profits to Hannah's Hope Fund. Please take a moment to go to the website http://www.hannahshopefund.org and see if there is anything you can do to help.

Contact me if you would like to make a donation!

Hanna Sneak Peek - Anthony!!!

This set is WAY cute! I was able to whip up these cards with my big Wild Asparagus pad of designer papers. I am slowing using them! (yay for me)

I made two cards with the Anthony set and the designer papers.

First card: Time to party!
This card is a 4.5x4.5 square. It is a white base and a square of designer paper. The watch is part of the Anthony set. I stamped it on the whisper white cardstock and colored it in with copics. I used a small adhesive bling in the center of the watch. The sentiment is printed on the computer - two brown brads on the side/corner rounder on the edge of the sentiment - a small bit of chocolate chip grossgrain ribbon tied in a simple knot.
This card reminds me of a funny story. Todd and I are not really worldly (or into fashion for that matter. I get most of my clothes at Kohl's and Target because I wear my clothes hard with the kids - most of the time I have spills and stains on my clothes - why go all out until they are a little bigger). We were enroute to our big France trip when Todd realized he forgot his watch. He wears a watch every day. I am not a watch person. When we got to our connection in JFK we had a few hours to wander, so we decided to grab him an inexpensive watch for the trip. We were wandering in the international terminal and I noticed a store with watches in the window. "How about this store?" I asked Todd. We went in (to Cartier) without any idea what to expect. I looked in the display case and noticed a very plain watch. I asked the sales person how much it was. $7,500. I only gasped a little. The man put on white gloves and asked if Todd wanted to try it on. We smiled, said thank you and left. We burst into a fit of laughter outside the store and never did get a watch for Todd. It did make a fun memory.
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This was a simple card as well! It is a 5x5 square card. The main image is stamped once on whisper white, once on chocolate chip. I made a nice dark suit for Anthony. I paper pieced it on him and then colored him with copics. Computer font for the sentiment. I sewed the ribbon on the card with a zigzag stitch.
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{supplies: Time to Party! and Happy Father's Day}
Stamp: Anthony {Hanna Stamps}
paper: whisper white, chocolate chip, Wild Asparagus designer paper
ink: archival black, copics
misc: brown brads,
(Time to party:)
chocolate ribbon, nestabilities, adhesive bling (peel and stick jewel),corner rounder, dimensionals
Happy Father's Day:
blue wide grossgrain ribbon, sewing

Meet Me in the Kitchen for a HUGE party!

Not one, Not two, Not Three (hold on to your potholders ladies)....

EIGHT NEW RELEASES!!!

You saw the baseball set...

wait until you see the rest...

I will be showing you so much more throughout the week! If that isn't enough excitement, there is a Kitchen Sink Stamps Contest on the NEW blog!!! Stop by here to get all the details!!!

This month, Kitchen Sink welcomes a new guest designer, Lynn. (Hey Lynn!! {waves})
Here is her gallery on Splitcoast.

YOU HAVE GOT TO GO SEE THE CREWS CREATIONS!!!

Nicole Cook ~ Kitchen Sink Project of the Month!!

Becky Ohlers

Tracy Durcan

Tammy Hershberger

Dee Jackson

Erika Martin

Julie Masse

Lori Tecler

Jan Tinkleberg

KSS: June Baseball Card

Raise your hand if you like baseball!
Raise your hand if you have a Grandpa, Dad, Brother, Son, Husband, Male Coworker.
Anyone still have their hands down.
Okay -I will see you tomorrow!

For the rest of you....here is the male set you are going to LOVE!
This baseball set by Kitchen Sink Stamps is awesome. Even in my spastic stamping, I managed to make this glove come to LIFE! Look at how real it is. It almost pops off the card. It is amazing (in a not so creepy, Steven King baseball glove coming to life and stalking you in the summertime kind of way).

I apologize in advance for the bad photo. My mom took my USB cord by mistake and I had to use my daughters digital camera. (Hi mom, did you take my USB cord? No It was a grey cord that I used to download your photos from your camera the other day. Oh! Let me check in the box. (Box? She returns a few moments later). Is it the XJ57P or the us7jg. I don't know Mom, it is a USB cord. The one with the big flat end and the smaller end. Yes Mom, that one. Is it yours? Nope. I think it is yours. Okay. Just bring it back the next time you come over.

Oh boy!
It will return soon!

In the meantime....
I have a few sheets of that Wasabi overstock paper from this past winter. Of course I needed it (rolls eyes) and it sits in my office taunting me. So I grabbed it and trimmed it off on one side. Then I sewed it up on the other side! That'll teach you about taunting a stamper!

The baseball glove was stamped in:
1. creamy caramel
2. close to cocoa
3. chocolate chip
4. basic grey
There are actually 4 steps to this baseball glove - but when you put it together - WOW!

I used my real red marker to make the stitching on the baseball. I used the nestabilities to create the circle - looks like a baseball to me. The sentiments (stamped here in archival black) come with the set - and there is a sentiment for EVERY guy in your life! Promise you that. Even it you only get the set for the sentiments - it is worth it. How many times have you struggled with masculine cards? This will put your MoJo back in place!

The bottom fold was bugging me, so I took a strip of real red and ran it through the CB folder and it covered that mass of wasabi on the bottom.

I promise you this card looks much better in real life!
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stamps:
Kitchen Sink Stamps: Baseball
Paper: Wasabi, Real Red, Whisper white
Ink: Basic black, caramel, cococa, chocolate chip, basic grey, real red
misc: nesties, sewing, cuttlebug swiss dots.

{Others} Lost in Space!

Let me tell you - I worked hard on these projects - so for me to space on them (or have them lost in Cyberspace) - makes me want to kick myself in the kiester!

OUCH! (who kicked me?)
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Here is the first Lostie!

Kraft paper is stamped with close to cocoa, creamy caramel and chocolate chip (adornments and backgrounds & borders). I used dimensionals to prop up the chocolate chip piece, then offset the creamy caramel just slightly. The sentiment is from never at a loss 4 words. The corners of the creamy caramel ere stamped with the swirl from backgrounds & borders. I placed the twill just underneath the chocolate chip and secured it with brads.
Such a simple card, great masculine card!
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This is adornments from KSS: a set that really took me out of my comfort zone. I saw it and knew that I could make some really cool stuff with it!

This is a mixture of Adornments & Never at a loss 4 words. There is a hint of backgrounds and borders (all Kitchen Sink Stamps). The paper is retired SU! desiger paper. I stamped the borders and Backgrounds on the saffron paper with creamy caramel ink. Then I wrapped a WIDE grossgrain ribbon around the card. I put an embossed ribbon atop that. The adornments is stamped with creamy caramel, then close to cocoa and chocolate chip. The key is river rock, olive and artichoke. Sentiment in Saffron and ruby. The edges of the main image were sponged with close to cocoa.

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This one is one I made last month. While blog surfing at Kristina Werner's blog, I saw her simple Mother's day card and loved how she used the circle punch to create the scalloped edge. HAD TO TRY IT!

I started with a 4.25x4.25 card base in sage. I stamped the dotted background with the stamp from backgrounds & borders. The main image is on whisper white with sage and close to cocoa inks. The small flowers are from the borders & backgrounds set (I reach for this set all the time!) and the sentiment is from Never at a loss 4 words (Kitchen Sink Stamps).

I punched the circles in white, then added some adhesive to the chocolate chip paper, then carefully added the circles, trimmed the edges. A little ribbon (mayarts/starlitstudio) in white sheer polkadot and this card is ready to be sent to a sick friend!

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Phew!~

all stamp sets can be purchased at Kitchen Sink Stamps!

stay tuned all week for some real fun new stamps from KSS!

I am ready to swing for a HOMERUN on the first card!

Paige's frame: Lost in Space?

I worked so hard on this gift to give to a friend when she had her baby. Somehow this beauty never made it to my blog. Here are the details:

I started with patterned paper (SU!). I covered an inexpensive wood frame with no glass cover. It was like a mini shadow box. I used the reverse side paper with my nestabilities to create a scalloped frame. Using scraps, I covered the inside of the inlay to cover any wood.

The font is actually a stamp set: Mix-it-Up alphabet from Kitchen Sink Stamps. It has several sizes of the font to play with. Mix and match to create your perfect sentiment, name, anything!
The butterfly is created with saffron paper, stamped with coral and guava inks, carefully trimmed and the wings snipped. I created two butterflies and layered them atop each other. I used adhesive just in the center of the top butterfly and bent the wings slighly upward. I added some glitter with a sakura stardust pen. It appears to be flying off the frame. A big piece of sheer organza ribbon in a soft pink on the bottom of the frame. (using my baby voice) - LOOK AT THE LITTLE SHOES! Could they be any cuter. My good friend Katie had a baby shower this year and those were no the invites. OF COURSE I SAVED THEM! Raise your hand if you would throw out cute baby shoe charms. LIAR! You know you would put them in your stash! I pat myself on the back for using them! {grin}
Here is Paige's frame:

Stamp Sets: Mix it up Alphabet, Hydrangea (Kitchen Sink Stamps)
Paper: designer paper (SU!), so saffron
Ink: archival black, groovy guava, coral
Misc: Frame (square - Michaels), sakura stardust, charm, ribbon, nestabilities