An Apple for the Teacher :)

It's Teacher Appreciation Week!  (Never mind that I thought it was last week and was killing myself to get projects done in time...)  My two boys are blessed with really wonderful teachers this year, so I was very happy to show them a little love.  When I was getting ready to make these cards, I intended to completely rip off this lovely Mother's Day card made by my fabulous friend Amy.  But as I pulled the design from A Child's Year up on my Gypsy, I noticed this cute apple cut-out card and my wheels went spinning in an entirely different direction!

To create this card, I first cut out the basic card shape.  I embossed the front of the card with my Cuttlebug and the Swiss Dots folder.  Then I went back on my Gypsy and hid the outer card contour so I could just cut the apple shape, which I did in red.  I also cut 3 circles (sized to fit the apple) out of book paper.  I created the little apple by layering the book-paper circles onto the center of the apple and then sewing them into place.  I think I saw the technique on a local show last year and I love the effect -- you fold out the pages after you've sewn them, and it adds a ton of dimension.  I inked the edges of the circles to add depth as well.  I also added little snips of green felt as leaves for my apple.

I cut a piece of patterned paper to fit the inside of the card and adhered it, then cut a piece of white cardstock for the center so I'd have a place to write the sentiment.  I used a notebook-edge border punch for the top edge of that piece.  Then, to make sure the apple was aligned just right, I closed the card and fit the apple into its space like a puzzle piece.  I added the sentiment "wonderful teacher" on little paper strips, then finished off the card with a little baker's twine (I just love that stuff!) and a little thank you tag.

Oh, and as a present, I am giving them this free printable from eighteen25 in a spray-painted red frame just like they show here:


Sam's teacher got hers last week and she really, really loves it!

Thanks for stopping by!

More scrapbooking fun!

Hello again!  I'm excited to show you a few more scrapbook pages from my weekend getaway.  These first two feature my sweetheart oldest kid Sam.

Seriously, don't you just love that smile?!  Oh, these pictures just warm my heart.  The yellow paper is from Cosmo Cricket and the floral is from Basic Grey.  The letters are from the Cricut Jubilee cartridge and the floral accent is from the Gyspy Wanderings cartridge, and of course there are more Tiny Type letters for "this smile."  The ivory string is actually candlewick yarn that I found at the thrift store quite a while ago.

This one makes me happy, too.  I took these photos on his first day of school because I've decided to be a rebel and skip those cheesy school pictures altogether.  These capture his personality so much better!  The stripey paper here is from We R Memory Keepers, but I'm not sure who makes all those cute little accents.  I got them in my goodie bag at the expo and I can't find the package now.  If I find them, I'll update this.  The title letters are cut from the Cricut Stamped cartridge.

One last layout for today!  This one is our family hiking to Timpanogos Cave on Labor Day last year.  I used a Becky Higgins sketch and the title is from the Cricut Jubilee cartridge.  I hand cut the mountain range and the green "vegetation" lines and created the sun with a circle punch and some paper strips.  I haven't been doing a lot of "event" scrapping lately, so it was fun get into that mode again.  This is the kind of layout that I print out copies and put in the family scrapbook for my parents as well.

(Click to enlarge)

That's all for today!  Thanks for stopping by, and check in again tomorrow for the exciting conclusion of my scrapbooking marathon! :)