Sunny Expressions Cards

Birthday Present Time

2010-03-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

I believe that hand-made gifts should be given for every possible occasion, including birthdays.

And I've been hard at work on a few upcoming gifts for some very special people.

Kids LOVE these superhero capes, I should know, all of my kids have begged me for them--including my 14 and 17 year-olds!

I created a very simple pattern for a cape out of poster board. After making a couple of measurements on my kids to get an approximate size, I folded the poster board in half and cut it out so it would be symmetrical on both sides. Then I cut out the fabric and embellished it with ribbon and felt pieces cut out using patterns printed off the internet.

The sky is the limit here. This is also the most fun part! Then I sewed velcro to each side of the cape, making sure they were on opposite sides so that they would velcro together once the entire thing was sewn together.

After embellishing, I pinned the right sides together and stitched around the entire cape leaving an 8 inch gap to turn.

I turned, ironed and stitched around the entire thing again.

The little girl that got this cape wore it throughout her entire party! That was the best compliment I could have ever gotten. Enjoy your cape little Super Girl!

If you have a special little someone that would like a special little cape, just let me know and I'll see what I can do for you!

CBYC Chipboard Album Class Instructions

2010-03-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

Getting Ready:
1. Remove two Chipboard pages from package. One is the front and one is the back. The rest will not be used.
2. Fast Track are items that can be done to enhance the page after the basics have been completed, allowing everyone to catch up.
3. Save the paper! When punching and cutting strips, use the very edge of the paper so that the scraps can be used on other pages.
4. Do Not Stress Out--if your hand cut items are not perfect! It's the "free-hand" look we are going for here ;)
5. Which way is UP? Make sure you know which side is up when you are doing a double
sided page.
6. Make it Your Own! Feel free to flip the paper over to make your album unique.
7. Stay Organized! Take out only what you need for each page.

Page One: Holes on Left
1. Using chipboard cover, trace and punch holes in Hammond Dr. Pink (Pink and orange
donuts).
2. Glue 8 x 8 square of Hammond Dr. Pink (Pink and orange donuts) to chipboard page, orange side down.
Fast Track: Sand page edges, ink edges, doodle page.
3. Glue 8 x 1 1/4 inch strip of Turner Street (green numbers) one inch from bottom, number side down.
4. Heart butterfly: Trace chipboard hearts onto front of Turner Street (green numbers) paper, making sure to note which side will be glued especially if the hearts are not symmetrical. Cut inside the line. Glue to chipboard hearts.
5. Match the hearts by putting them exactly on top of each other and punch a small hole in the tip with Cropadile. Put a brad through the hole and open, and spread wings apart.
Fast Track: Sand edges, ink edges, doodle.
6. Cut two thin strips 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches of Kennedy blue green (blue w/ white dots and v's). Wrap one end of each strip around a pencil to curl for the antennae. Set butterfly aside.
7. Accordion fold pink strip 1 1/4 x 12 inches and attach ends with glue strip or dots. Flatten and then squeeze to make a tight center. Have a friend help glue the orange circle with hot glue gun. Repeat with orange 1/2 x 8 inch strip and pink circle. Glue dot the buttons to the circles.
8. Sketch or free-hand cut two large leaves and one small leaf
Fast Track: Hot dog fold the leaves to add dimension.
9. Cut a 3 inch piece of chipboard strip (from Scenic Route package) for large flower stem. Assemble flowers. Glue dot to page.
10. Glue "welcome spring" phrase to chipboard piece. Attach to page.
11. Attach butterfly and glue the edge of the antennae and hold down until glue dries.

Page Two: Holes on Right
A. Cut green paper 8 x 2 and set aside for p. 4.
1. Using chipboard cover, trace and punch holes in Hammond Dr. Pink (Pink and orange
donuts).
2. Glue 8 x 8 square of Hammond Dr. Pink (Pink and orange donuts) to chipboard page, orange side up.
Fast Track: Sand page edges, ink edges, doodle page.
3. Glue large flower, striped side down, to top right corner (do not cover hole).
4. Sketch or free-hand cut 5 almond-shaped leaves on Turner Street (green numbers) approx. 1 3/4 by3/4 inches.
Fast Track: Hotdog fold top half of leaves to add dimension (glue flat side to tree).
5. Sketch or free-hand cut a tree trunk with two branches on Kennedy blue green (blue w/ white dots and v's).Glue tree together.
6. Glue "Bloom and grow" phrase to "it's all about me" chipboard piece and matte off-center onto a 2 x 4 inch scrap of Buckley Stars Blue ( rain drops) paper. Glue over bottom of tree.
7. Cut out bird and adhere in tree or on sign.

Page 3: Holes on Left
1. Using chipboard cover, trace and punch holes in Hampton Belmont Circle (Pink and orange flowers).
2. Punch small hole with cropadile in center of chipboard circle piece. Attach brad and open prongs. Glue dot to top left page.
3. Attach a sticker to a chipboard piece and glue to bottom L of page.

Page 4: Holes on Right (Turn previous page over)
1. Cut a 12 x 5 inch strip of Hammond Drive Pink (Pink and orange donuts) and fold 4 inches back to make 8 x 5 plus a 4 inch flap.
2. Cut a notch out of the top of the 4 inch flap to create a library pocket. Glue bottom and side to form pocket.
3. Cut a 3 x 3 1/2 inch piece of Hampton Belmont Circle (Pink and orange flowers). Staple a pink photo corner to the top and slide in pocket.
4. Glue crown chipboard piece to pocket and glue dot gem onto crown.
5. Glue pocket strip to page 2 inches above bottom.
6. Glue on remaining photo corners.
7. Cut a 8 x 1/2 inch strip of Turner Street (green numbers) and glue below pocket strip.

Page 5. Holes on Left
1. Glue pink and orange stripe square scallop matte to page slightly above and left of center.
2. Matte a sticker onto a piece of Turner Street (green numbers) and glue below and right of square.
Fast Track: Hot dog fold the petals to add dimension.
3. Glue center only of flower and adhere to page. Adhere gem with glue dot.

Page 6: Holes on Right. Turn previous page over.
1. Thread flower through paperclip and clip to frame.
2. Glue frame to center of green numbers page.
3. Glue down chipboard circle frame.
4. Adhere butterfly sticker in frame.

Page 7: Holes on Left. Pocket Page
1. Cut a 12 x 8 piece of Kennedy Blue Green (blue with white dots). Score horizontally at 5 3/4 from top edge then 2 inches below first score mark.
2. Fold paper up along the first score line and down along second.
3. Glue folded layers together at the sides only to create pockets on either side of the paper.
4. Cut a 1/2 x 8 inch strip of Hammond Drive Pink (orange with white diagonal stripes and dots) and glue just below pocket opening.
Fast Track: Scallop cut the edge of the strip before glueing. Cut a 3 1/2 inch square of Hampton Belmont Circle (Pink with white drops).
5. Glue a 3/4 x 2 1/4 inch scrap to "let's focus on me" chipboard piece and attach butterfly sticker. Adhere to pink square and glue to bottom right of pocket.
6. Add photo corners.

Page 8: Holes on Right. Upside Down Page
1. Clip the orange birdie square to pocket.

Page 9: Holes on Left.
1. Using chipboard back cover, trace and punch holes in Buckley Stars Blue ( rain drops) paper and glue to chipboard back with holes on the Left.
2. Cut a 3 x 8 inch strip of Belmont circle (orange and pink flowers) and glue two inches above bottom.
Fast Track: Snip 1/2 inch between each petal, ink flowers, and fold in half and half and half to add dimension. Fold edges up slightly.
3. Stack flower using pop dots between the top two flowers. Attach button with glue dot. Adhere to striped chipboard strip and glue one inch below the top of Belmont Circle strip.
4. Leave or cover chipboard phrase strips with paper scraps.
Fast Track: Sand and ink edges.
5. Adhere chipboard strips to bottom of page vertically.

Page 10 Holes on Right
Glue orange 1 x 8 strip 1 1/4 inches above bottom edge of plain chipboard page.
Layer strip of Turner Street (green numbers) over orange strip.
3. Hand cut two huge leaves and glue to the back of huge 5 inch flower and glue to page, slightly overlapping strips.
Fast Track: Snip between each petal of pink flower. Curl petals for dimension.
4. Attach orange circle to pink flower with a pop dot. Glue flower off centered onto large flower.

Finishing it up:
Mark and punch any missed holes. Open rings and insert pages. Clip closed and add ribbon.

I'm Home From CBYC

2010-03-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

I had a terrific and exhausting weekend down in Utah teaching at CBYC! I met a lot of wonderful women and saw some of their amazing work. There were a lot of talented people at the crop! I only wish I had time to actually sit down and make a few pages. I get more behind each day!

My good friend, Laura, helped me cut the kits. It was a lot of work and I was so grateful for her help! The Atkisson girls also saved my album kittting bacon!

Do you see me in the back ground looking very confused at the Stampin Up card class? I was feeling very anxious during this class since it was right before mine and I was having a difficult time hearing the instructions.

I had a lot of fun teaching my card class. The students were amazing and did a terrific job on their cards.

So here I am posing for a massage photo. I didn't have time to get a massage, sadly, but maybe next year!

Kris was amazing and thought of everything and everyone. Even the teachers got a goodie bag.

Laura and I, the Idahoians, with baby Trevan.

My little croppin' buddy, Trevan.

At around 5pm I wanted to crash . . . but I couldn't. First thing when I got to the crop, I locked my keys in my van and had to go find an officer to jimmy the door open. I totally lucked out when I realized that officers from 3 or 4 districts were at the Safe kid's event next door. I found someone to pop the lock in about 3 seconds! Hooray!

Doing the Chipboard album at the end of the day may not have been the greatest idea. It took about 4 hours to complete the album due to many interruptions and we were all pretty much brain dead by that time!

I can't believe how much work it takes to put on an event like this. Kris and her crew did an amazing job! Total exhaustion, but what a great cause! Have fun little campers!

Brave Mom Flower Card

2010-02-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

My friend just sent her son on his mission to Arizona. She was brave. I hope to be like her some day.

Since I am teaching a technique class on paper flowers next weekend at Crop Because You Care to benefit the Epilepsy Association of Utah, I thought I had better start practicing. These are fun and very easy.

Accordion Flowers: Cut paper 1 1/4 by 12 and fold back and forth. Attach ends and flatten. Squeeze center together tightly. I cut a circle and put a large Zots and stuck it to the folds to hold secure.

Fringe Flower: Cut a 2 by 12 inch strip of paper. Fold in half. Cut fringe all along the unfolded edge. Scrunch the fringe to make it fluffy. Put a little adhesive along the folded edge and roll.

Let me know if these instructions don't make sense, or you would like more info.

Spring is coming, even to Idaho! The crocuses are starting to peak their little green heads out through the snow. They were bread to be hearty little things. I wish I was as hearty in the snow.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

I love Valentine's Day because there are lots of opportunities to make fun things for those you love best! We started the day off with a very rushed breakfast (thanks to 9 am church!) of pink cherry heart pancakes.

When the kids got up, they sheepishly said with big grins, "we knew you were making those for us, Mom." So much for the element of surprise. Those kids have no idea how lucky they are.

Even Alex got creative. He made these origami roses for his girlfriend. Very crafty and clever!

We had a fun Valentine Dinner at the church on Friday. The decorating committee was brilliant; they assigned people to decorate these giant poster board hearts, then they put them up all over the gym. It looked great!

I added tulle and lace to the border and printed off a vintage valentine picture. I used some black and cream patterned paper ad added a few embellies. The words were cut with my cricut.

My Valentine for the one I love. I had a little trouble putting the micro beads on the key. It just didn't cover very well. I'm going to have to play with this. My chipboard Y was missing, so I had to cut off part of an x. DH didn't really get the message. I had to explain it to him "key to your heart . . . "

"...is through your stomach!" He loves Arby's (he got that part ;).

A little Fry box altered for my BDD (big dear daughter) My BDS got one of these too.

The three younger ones got Target mailboxes altered to match their rooms. These were quick little jobs.

Fun Cosmo Cricket robots!

Fun day of love and giving!

My Little Valentines Photo Valentines

2010-02-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

It has been way too long since I've posted, and I am going to make up for it, I promise!!!

Here is a really fun, easy Valentine--maybe for next year since Valentine's Day is only 3 days away {Unless you're really quick and take advantage of 1 hour photo like I did}.

This is the "After" Photo.

...and this would be before {Backwards, I know} So, you take a photo of your child with his fist out. Then edit the picture with a message and print. Cut slits above and below the hand and slide the pen or pencil or sucker or pixie stick through the slits.
It really plays tricks with your mind. That's why I love it so much! We did Rose Pens for the teachers.

Scrappy Camp Kiddie Frame

2009-07-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

This class is geared toward kids ages 5 and up. Kids will love creating this kid-friendly frame and showcasing a special photo of themselves in it. Then we will make cards from the paper scraps!

Class includes:

Wooden Frame
Paper
Embellishments
*Bring a 4X6 photo

The class is $10.00

Date is Wednesday, August 5 (hurry and register!) We will have extra kits for walk-ins.

Time is 10 to 11 AM

Place is at the Rigby City Library Basement

This class includes snacks and RAK prizes!

Email your registration (name, phone, class selection) to sunnyexpressions@gmail.com or pick up a form at the Rigby City Library!

Scrappy Camp Life's Good Clipboard Frame

2009-07-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is the Life's Good Clipboard Frame Class.

You will create this beautiful work of art that can grace your walls or set on a decorative easle. Celebrate how good life is with this clipboard frame.

This class is geared towards tweens, teens and up, but anyone 5-9 can come with a free helper.

Class Details:

You will receive everything you need to create this beautiful frame:

*Paper
*Clipboard
*Embellishments
*The Saying may be changed

The class is $20.00

Date is Wednesday, August 5 (hurry and register!)

Time is 3:30-5 PM

Place is at the Rigby City Library Basement

This class includes snacks and RAK prizes!

Email your registration to sunnyexpressions@gmail.com or pick up a form at the Rigby Library!

Call Sunny with any questions: 745-1236.

It's Time For Scrappy Camp!!! Back-to-School Party in-a-can Class

2009-07-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

Scrappy Camp is going to be SO MUCH FUN this year!!!

This is the Back-to-School Party in-a-can Class. It is everything you need to throw the greatest back to school party ever! All you'll need to do is set the date, grab some of your best friends, and the rest is "in the can."

This class is targeted toward tweens, but adults are welcome and kids 5-9 are welcome if they bring a bigger person (free) to help them out!

High lites of the class include:

Kit:
*Decorated can
*5 Party favor boxes (favors not included)
*Pencil "Party Ideas" Tag Album (chock full of ideas)
*Mini Pennant (flag) Banner
*5 Cupcake Picks
*5 Invitations

The class is $30.00

Date is Wednesday, August 5 (hurry and register!)

Time is Noon to 3 PM

Place is at the Rigby City Library Basement

This class includes snacks and RAK prizes!

Emial your registration to sunnyexpressions@gmail.com or pick up a form at the Rigby Library!

Mrs. Brown's Album

2009-07-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hunter had a terrific teacher this year, Mrs. Brown! Amazingly, it was Mrs. Brown's first official class. She seemed like a veteran teacher with all of her fabulous ideas and calm control of the class. I was always amazed at how well-behaved her class was. I volunteered in the classroom once a week and went on a couple of field trips with them. I could see the treasure in her!

Because I felt so good about her as a teacher, I couldn't let the year pass without documenting her first year for her. I knew it would mean a lot to her, and so I compiled my favorite friend quotes and snapped some photos of the kids having fun and got to work.

I anxiously awaited Hunter coming home from school so that I could ask him what her reaction was. When he finally got home, he told me that she said "thank you." It was a little anti climactic. I should have known better, because a couple of weeks into the summer, Hunter and I received a very heart felt note from her saying how she cries each time she looks at it.

{The photos were probably taken at midnight as you can see by the lack of natural lighting!}

Mrs. Brown, it was a joy doing this for you! I hope you'll always treasure your first year as we will always treasure you!

Creative Escape 2009

2009-03-25T23:41:00.001-07:00

Can I just shout out to the world how happy I am to have been chosen to go to Creative Escape 2009!!! I am so excited! Arizona, here I come Aug 27-29th. (now I just have to figure out how I'm going to pay for it!)

Another little announcement, sunnyexpressions.com is now up and running, so go on over for a visit and purchase a card or two to help me fund my trip!

Going Bananas!

2009-03-25T23:35:00.000-07:00

Teenagers can really make you feel like you are going bananas sometimes! I know, I have experienced it first hand! I have a very good friend who just happens to be going through some teeny trouble, so I made this card for her! I hope it replaces at least some of the stress with a little laugh!

Inside it says, "Hang in there, it will all be over soon (the teenage years)! . . . "

Inspiring Creativity

2009-02-11T22:39:00.000-08:00

I love it when I get inspired and begin to create. Not all days are like that for me. Sometimes I will spend hours on a card, and it just doesn't seem to come together. If I walk away and come back to it a different day, I can see things from a different perspective, and it helps the creativity.

Today's inspiration comes from Sketch #102 from CPS, and some wonderful, free clip art from Ten Two Studios.

CPS #102

2009-02-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

Here is my take on CPS #102 Challenge. It is a Lover's card for . . . who else? My Lover! Happy Valentine's Day James! I love you more than. . . I love making cards! Does that sound too cheesy? It really is a lot to me!

Photo and vintage valentine courtesy of Ten Two Studios!

CPS #100

2009-01-29T21:39:00.000-08:00

I'm running out of time!!! In stead of packing for CA, I'm sitting here making cards! I love it so much! It is fun to create cards using sketches. Here is the sketch #100 from CPS.

I created this card to send to Sweet n Sassy Stamps for sending me two sets of owl stamps, which I won last week. I've been having a lot of fun with them and I appreciate them so much for sending them to me!

Gift of Love

2009-01-28T14:50:00.001-08:00

My cousin Amber just had quads. That is quadruplets--FOUR babies!!! They are about four months old now, and I'm heading out to CA this weekend with my mom to help Amber and hopefully give her a little bit of a break. Can you imagine! I made these thank you cards for her a little while ago, but neglected to get them into the mail. Now I will be able to hand deliver them! She has had such an outpouring of gifts and service from people all over the world. There is probably no way she could even acknowledge every person that has helped her. It would be way too time consuming. I thought I'd give her a little help, so I'm giving her 18 cards, envelopes, and even a personal note to slip inside so she doesn't have to spend time writing out the thank yous. I had a lot of fun creating her congratulations card with scraps from the thank you cards. I spent way too much time doing it, but it was worth it.

Amber is such an amazing person. She was amazing before the babies were born, and now she can add Super Mom to her amazing status! Congratulations, Amber, I can't wait to see you and your little ones!

Sweet Cupcake Cards and Owl Treats

2009-01-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

What could make you feel cozier than fresh homemade whole wheat bread and hot cocoa on a freezing cold day? These treats went to a friend of mine whom I visit each month :)

I won the CPS drawing for blog candy--my choice of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!!! I have been wanting an owl for a while, and they have a really cute one, so I chose this set. I was so excited to get it in the mail, and I've been creating with it ever since!

I love cards with anything sweet to eat on them! I played with some designs for a cupcake card, and this is what I came up with. I put the cupcake base through the paper crimper for a fun textured look. Ooohhh They look almost good enough to eat! Each one is a little bit different, but I think I like the way the first one came out best. I'm off to make more yummy creations!

Working Hard but Having Fun!

2009-01-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

Phew! It's been a week filled with paper crafting! And I love it! I uploaded Grimpow onto my ipod (which is 11 cd's) and enjoyed scrapping way into the night for several nights! I created a 20 page scrapbook for my friend's daughter for her birthday, and several cards. I quite enjoyed myself eventhough several things went undone around the house! The price you pay when you're an adict!

This is Sketch #99 at CPS. I had fun playing with the sketch, but didn't get my card in on time :( I actually won the drawing last week!!! It was my first time entering, and I was sooo excited! I'll try again next week.

. . . And here is my take on the sketch! The image was downloaded from an amazing site with lots of free clipart The Vintage Moth.
My sister's birthday was on the 14, so I made this lovely card for her also using clipart from The Vintage Moth.

I fell in love with this vintage image and just had to create a valentine card with it.

Ooooh, and this vintage bee. I couldn't resist!

Another vintage image card--maybe for Mother's Day.

Here are a few glimpses of the scrapbook I made for my friend's daughter. I saw Hailey looking through my kids' albums and wishing she had one of her own. Her dad is always trying to get her mom to scrapbook their kid's photos, and I just couldn't help myself! I had to do it for her!

Here is the cover and matching card.

Page one. The following page was scraplifted from a layout in Desigining with Simplicity by Jennifer. I fell in love with the layout, and I think the results are very precious! I'll have to do one of these for my own daughters! This page was from a sketch on Page Maps website. They have some cool layout ideas. I downloaded the perfect fairy and put glitter all over her wings. The teeth are Quickutz die cuts. Another one that I'll have to do for my daughters.

My own sketch here! :)

This page was scraplifted from the calendar I made at Creative Escape '07.

Now on to the real world! Laundry and dishes, I know you've missed me, here I come.

Hope of Things to Come!

2009-01-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

This morning when I woke up, I went to the window and looked out and asked myself, "Where is the sun?" It was sooooo dark, like the darkest of winter mornings. The winter fog had set in and there wasn't a ray of light in sight. It left me feeling sad and empty.
As I was going to get ready for the day, I flipped on the bathroom light, and there, clinging lifelessly to the switch plate, was a friendly little ladybug. "How did you get here?" I asked her. Of course, she didn't respond. I was puzzled. I didn't know if she was alive. I moved on to get ready for the day, and the next time I looked, she had flown down to the sink. "You are alive!" I said. I watched her for a few moments. She crawled back and forth on the slippery sink. "Hope" I thought. Yes, winter is here for a time, but there is hope for a warm, bright future--just as there is in life. Hope. Times can be tough and hard to bear at times, leaving us feeling sad and empty, but through the Savior there is hope for the bright future He has in store for us!

CPS Challenge

2009-01-07T14:55:00.000-08:00

CPS is a Card Positioning System blog that has a lot of great card sketches. The DT members are very talented and always come up with amazing cards! I decided to participate in this week's sketch, and had a lot of fun doing it. I kept with the cowboy theme with this card.

Cowboy Photo

2008-12-20T22:07:00.000-08:00

James is out with the guys tonight, so I thought I'd get busy creating this Cowboy Photo which will eventually be framed for my aunt to give as a Christmas gift. The photo is of a man who works in her store The New West with her. The scan turned out a little fuzzy, but it looks like a painted canvas IRL.

Cowboy and Cowgirl Cards

2008-11-10T23:05:00.001-08:00

I had so much fun creating these cards using the Paper Dolls cartridge for the Cricut Expression. Yee haw!