He {hearts} She

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I didn't get half the stuff done I wanted to around the house or in my craft room, but I never do, so it was a pretty productive weekend if you measure it against my other non-productive weekends. 

My latest card was inspired by this Kristina Werner card.  As you may already know, I am kind of a fan of hers.  A big one.  I wish I had an ounce of her creativity.  And her craft supplies.  I could do great things I tell you.  Great things.

Anyway, Mr. Bean's second cousin, Suneeta, got married recently so I figured I'd make a wedding card.  When I got married, Mr. B and I received cards from all over the world from people we'd never heard of or met before because of my MIL and FIL's vast network of family and friends.  Being a lover of all things card related, it was really exciting to get so many cards in the mail.  However, they were all the traditional ones you see at your local drugstore.  Except one.  I have a friend from Tanzania whose mother sent the most beautiful card.  It was like art.  In fact, it was art.  Not to take anything away from the sentiments included in the cards we received, but out of the 5 or 6 dozen cards we got, that particular card is no doubt the one I cherish the most.  If I was a blogger worth anything, I'd dig it out and take a picture and show it to you, but I am typing this at work because I am an employee worth nothing. :)

With this card, I wanted to make something non-traditional and something that would stand out amongst the 5 or 6 dozen cards that Suneeta herself will no doubt receive.  I've been kind of obsessed with these male and female figures for a while now, and loved they way Kristina Werner used them.

I used less layers than I typically do since I am mailing this one to the other side of the country.  I do love me some pop up dots but the postal service doesn't take to them too kindly.

I hand cut the figures using a white cardstock from Bazzill Bling, so there is some shimmer you can't see in the pics.  The black and kraft colored cardstock is Bazzill as well.  The heart is from Hobby Lobby.  Very simple.  And hopefully unique.  

Please excuse the large glob of glue dots on the female's leg.  I didn't notice that until I uploaded the pictures. I was apparently very frightened that that particular leg would come tearing off the card and wreak havoc on all mankind because it looks like I tripled up on the glue dots there.  But I assure you, no legs were harmed in the making of this card.   

That's all I've got for now.  I do want to give a shout out to my Billy and say Happy Birthday!  I hope you have an awesome day!!!

Bienvenidos a Miami

I took a quick trip to Miami sans Mr. Bean to help celebrate my friend's 30th birthday.  It was hard work but somebody's gotta do it, right?  I went there feeling 21 again and left feeling....well, really old.  I had a blast getting to know some of my friend's best friends and am really glad I got to see first hand why she loves them so much.  It was a pretty awesome group of people.  I hope to see them again soon.

Here's a few quick snaps I took.  I took an actual camera, but never actually had it on me so most of the pics were via my iPhone. 

As you can see, I focused quite a bit on the Cuban fare. I am not typically a big pork eater outside of curries, but I have to say, a good Cuban sandwich can convert almost anyone.  I had to have some yuca and plantains in the mix and the rest of the pics are in and around our hotel and glimpses into our evenings. 
  
I will be back on a regular schedule beginning this week.  I've just about got my voice back (a result of the 'feeling like I was 21 again') and am almost rested enough that I am feeling back to my old lady self again.  I have neglected my craft room, but I should have a decent post for you after this weekend.  Adios!

October Obsessions

Wow. September flew by faster than I expected. And it actually feels like fall here! This weather is making me giddy. Even Freddie loves it. She tends to get frisky with cooler weather. It's really cute. Lately she won't even come inside when we coax her with treats. I wish I could do that today instead of be at work. Only I probably wouldn't be coaxed with treats. It'd be more like, "You can stay outside...forever." And I don't think Mr. Bean would appreciate it if I came home and said I got fired because I wanted to go outside and play all day.

This month's obsessions are a bit random, but I think you'll like them.

{image viaTwo Peas in a Bucket}

Crop-a-dile Corner Chomper. This, my friends, is the greatest corner rounder ever. I've had my eye on this for a long time, but my corner rounders from Hobby Lobby were working just fine, so I couldn't justify the expense. Until I started my cards for the Latina Art Show. My corner rounders wouldn't sharpen for the life of me, so I finally broke down and bought the Corner Chomper. And I have but one regret. That I didn't buy it sooner. I used to have to pull strength from The Almighty Himself to round corners to my cards. And I thought that was normal. The Corner Chomper rounds the corners so easily and quickly - and thru multiple layers of cardstock! - I really think this is my favorite tool in my craft room. Seriously.

{image via EK Success}

Embossing Pen by Inkadinkado. I'm a CA (craft addict) and the Embossing Pen was my idea. Seriously. They need to market this pen the way Microsoft has marketed Windows 7. This is one of those products that you envision on your head and one day you actually find that someone actually makes it. I love to emboss. It takes your cards to the next level. But I hate that you are limited to the stamps you own. This, dear craft lover, is the answer. Love it. Thanks, Sharmee, for showing me the way.

{image via Small Screen Scoop}

Project Runway Season 8. This has been an ongoing obsession of mine, so technically it doesn't count, but life is never better than when Project Runway is airing. I absolutely love that they repeated the HP Challenge for designers to make their own fabric with this last episode. Textile design has always intrigued me, so it's so fun to see these designers create and then use the fabric they made on a design. Great marketing, too, because it really makes me want one of those HP TouchSmart systems. For when I become a famous textile designer, of course.

I am totally take by one designer this season. Mondo. I love his point of view. This last episode had me bawling so much, I had to stop the recording so I could clean myself up. Several times. If you haven't watched it, Lifetime has the full episode here and you can actually download Mondo's (and all the other designers') pattern here. I think I might use Mondo's for a card in the near future. I can't wait to see what Mondo will be producing the rest of the season. I don't see how he won't be at Fashion Week. I really think Mondo will win it all.

{image via Calico Corners}

Calico Corners. Um, so when did Calico Corners become cool? The last time I went inside a Calico Corners store, I think I was 8. And I don't remember blown away at the fabric choices. (Even as an 8 year old, I would have remembered fabulous fabric.) But, the other day, I was doing some online searches for some cool, affordable fabric and I stumbled upon Calico Corners. They have some really awesome fabrics to choose from that vary from traditional to ethnic to a more vintage feel. I am really impressed. And then, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. Take a look at Iman's collection, sold exclusively at Calico Corners. I've seen other fabrics with comparable designs, but not for that price. I DIE. I need about 500 yards of every style. Please.

The Girl by City and Colour. I don't really need to explain why I love this song so much. Dare I say that Dallas Green just may be the new Jack Johnson in my heart? I don't know....you tell me....

That's all for this month! I haven't created anything lately because I have been playing around on PSE a lot. (Show some love for the new blog header!!) Man, I could play all day with that program and never get tired of it. Quite possibly the best purchase of 2010 in my book.

I actually took a last minute trip up to Iowa to visit my sister again. She got an infection that almost landed her in the hospital so my mom and I flew up there as quick as we could to be with her. It was a shame we were there under those circumstances, but it was really nice to just be there with her with no real agenda except for her to work on getting better. I got lots of Colt time, too, which is always an exciting adventure. So, I'll leave you with this pic I snapped on my iPhone.

{This is Colt. Hanging out on the couch - even though he knows he
isn't supposed to - but looking quite pleased with himself nonetheless.}

And this article on creativity crushers. It's a good read. Laters!

A Gleek-y Birthday

I think it is pretty obvious what this card was inspired by. I am a HUGE Glee fan and so is my friend, Blanca. She's kind of my clone in the sense that we have the same sense of humor and the same interests...fashion...books....food....trashy TV...you name it. I met her in college at a time when I really needed my own set of friends. I had just gotten out of a bad relationship, and I found myself in that position where I realized all of my friends were actually his friends. So, she took me under her wing and showed me how much more fun college can be without a boyfriend. She's been my partner in crime ever since.

Blanca is only 9 months older than I am but was born the year before I was. So basically we are only the same age for 3 months out of the year. And, since I like to be a pain, I like to give her a hard time about that. And it never gets old. Well, she does. Not the joke. Ha ha ha. [I hope she's reading.]

Anyway, this card is for her birthday. I solicited the help of my friend, who is pretty awesome to allow me to use her and abuse her crafty awesomeness, so let's just give a shout out to Anita. She was my hand model as well as my Cricut extraordinaire.



Pretty simple. Anita used Sure Cuts A Lot on her Cricut to cut out the letters in the font I wanted. We took a picture of her hand and had it printed at the Walgreens photo center. I cut out the hand in the picture and used pop up dots on the letters and the picture. The black letters are Basic Grey's Micro Stickers (my fave). I didn't have them in black, so I used a Sharpie.

Here is the inside.


The inside has a quote from the show: "Wait, so old people can join Glee Club now?" - Finn Hudson
All the paper is Bazzill, of course. Love it.
It's no coincidence that I posted this today. Glee premieres tonight!! If you don't already watch it...well, you deserve a slushie. ;)

All caught up and nowhere to craft.

I finally sent off the cards yesterday for the art show that I blogged about last month. They should arrive by Thursday. Yay. I have been up late the last couple of nights trying to get them out in time, so it's a relief to have that checked off the list.

The idea was to have two cohesive cards that were also unique in their own way. So, I used the same paper, but a slightly different pattern. This second card was sort of a crocodile inspired look.

I am not quite sure I pulled it off, but I am fairly pleased with how it turned out. Especially when the two cards are sitting next to each other.

This is a shot of them as I was packing them up. The card I re-made has an orange butterfly and the crocodile inspired one has a yellow butterfly, both with Bazzil Basics cardstock. The kraft colored cardstock is Bazzill as well. The patterened paper is Hambly. Since the cards are so much like the one I already blogged about, I didn't take a ton of pics, so these are pretty much all I got. Enjoy!
And just for grins, I'll show you a pic of the girly burp cloths I made over the weekend. I've made these before, but I tend to err on the side of 'functional' when making/buying things for newborns so these are perfect. Since I don't know but one little girl, it was so much fun to break out into the pink fabric I've had in my fabric stash forever. I love pink fabrics, but I can't ever use them because everyone has boys!


This is my favorite go-to gift to make and give. I basically do something like this. I am a slow sewer, and even I can churn out 3 of these in under an hour from start to finish. Very simple to do. The fabrics I used are Amy Butler (of course!) and Heather Bailey.

That's all I got! I am pretty much caught up on everything I wanted to do! So now back to reality. I need to do a serious reorganization of my craft room but I am not sure how to just yet without just taking everything out and starting over. And I am not quite ready to do that right now. But we'll see. I am getting to where I have different things I am working on in the extra bedroom, the kitchen, the living room as well as my craft room. So, it's getting harder and harder to clean up all that mess. And find everything. So, I need to find a solution. A solution that doesn't involve buying a bigger house or kicking Mr. Bean out.

Hope everyone has a great week!

September Obsessions.

I figured while I am trying to look busy at work, I'd fill you guys in on my latest obsessions.

{Image taken from the header of Elements of Style}

Elements of Style Blog. This blog has so much eye candy, I can't stand it. I basically want to live in this blog. If that were possible. When it is possible, I'll let you know. I'm sure I could use the company, but mostly I'd be that kid that shows off all their toys and won't let you touch anything.

{Image via Green Your Decor}

Cloud9 Fabrics. As much as I'd like to think I am livin' La Vida Verde, from the sewing perspective, it's kind of hard to make the full switch to eco-friendly fabrics. They just aren't that cute and there aren't that many options. Cloud9 Fabrics is changing all that. And me likey. Seeing this fabric is making want to consider making a quilt, but really it's just so I can buy it all and keep them all in my "collection."

{Image via Martha Stewart}

Vacation Memory Jars. Why didn't I think of this?? I always have the best of intentions when I travel to make a scrapbook, but I never follow thru. Then I think, 'Oh, I'll just make a shadow box' and then that falls thru. Everything I save basically stays in a photo box on a shelf in my closet and all the pics remain as little thumbnails on my hard drive. This idea is basically the answer to all of life's vacation memory questions - because I know you have them. My love of jars + my pack rat-tiness + my travels = a perfect solution for displaying all of my memorabilia. Love it. I'm planning a trip to IKEA to look for some cute jars STAT.

The Blessing Basket Project. I went to a blessingway ceremony recently for a friend and one of the hosts presented the mother-to-be with a basket from The Blessing Basket Project. I love baskets to begin with, but their baskets are really extraordinary. They are all made by artisans in Uganda, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Ghana. All of their images are protected, so check out their products here. And read more about the project in a more eloquent manner here.

That's all for this month! Like I said, August flew by way to quickly for me. I've got a lot to catch up on in my craft room, at home, and on TV. Yes, I have a rough life. ;)

Are you there, Fall? It's me, Pintobean.

Sorry for the hiatus. August flew by way too quickly for me. I'm not sure I totally believe it's September already, but I'll take it. The weather has been playing tricks on me and it actually feels like it's cooling down. But, I won't hold my breath.

I hope everyone had a good Labor Day Weekend. Mr. Bean and I took Freddie Girl up to visit her new cousin, Colt, in Iowa for the weekend. 18 hour drive there. 20 hour drive back. But, seeing this face as we were leaving.

{Love how it looks like she's actually smiling}

And this face when we got home......

{Love that she let us put a jersey on her. That's how tired she was.}

Makes it all worth it. Even the part where we ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere.

However, I am completely exhausted. I have a couple of things I need to finish up before I can post anything interesting. I don't think I've stepped into my craft room once since the last card I made, so I need to get busy! I'll post a few pics from my trip, in the meantime, but I'll need a couple more days to recuperate.