Forty-two . . . .

Hello Friends -
Happy Monday!

Yes, I am forty-two years of age today!  Hard to believe how the last several years have gone by so fast.  Please enjoy this quick card that I made this morning, just cause.  I'll add it to my stash.

Happy Day to you -
Mary -

This is a 4.25" x 5.5" card.

I was in between phone calls and wanted to make something simple and use all of this paper tape that I have on my desk.

In my opinion, the trick here is to line up the straight edges to create the pattern.  And stamp with a permanent ink on the paper tape for it to be a crisp impression (and use a light colored paper tape underneath).

I could have added something to the solid flag . . . like rhinestones or a punched flower or butterfly, but I am having lunch with a friend and I gotta go . . .

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics

Sentiment Stamp - Iron Gate Stamps {my stamp company}

Ink - Staz-On

My Stash - Paper Tape, Scissors, Patience to cut the flags by hand {there is a lot of tape on that roll, practice is okay}

Easter Blog Hop -

Hello Friends -
I hope you are having a great weekend!

Welcome if you have not stopped by the Tool Shed before! Please become a follower and let me know you were here.

If you came from Mary Ann - http://scrappingg.blogspot.com/ you are hopping along the list.

These holidays are just coming too fast for me this year!

I purchased a package of paper mache eggs at Michaels and decided to make them my project for the day and not save them.  I did a few of the eggs with paper that I will share another day because they did not look very Easter-like.

First I painted the eggs with white acrylic paint.

Then I ripped half inch pieces of paper tape and randomly but thoughtfully placed them on the eggs for the 2 polka dot ones.  For the diagonal lined egg, I ripped pieces and matched them up around the egg.  I was not thinking . . . I did not take any photos of the process.  I was actually having fun!  And I thought the big polka dot tape would not turn out very well.  But it was my favorite overall . . . and super easy.

Paper Tape Eggs

Happy Easter!

In addition to seeing a lot of awesome Easter creations, there is some BLOG CANDY available too. Miranda will be giving away a Michael’s gift card. To be eligible for the blog candy, you are required to visit each stop in the hop and leave a comment.  The winner will be announced Wednesday, March 27th on Miranda's blog!

Your next stop is Tara - http://Craftindesertdivas.blogspot.com

Here is the whole Hop:

Miranda - http://www.nanasscrapspot.com/  BLOG CANDY
Rhonda - http://www.flowersbyrhonda.blogspot.com/
Robin - http://cutonedesignsbyrobin.blogspot.com/

Sandy - http://www.scrapbookblessings.blogspot.com
Teresa - http://freshandrenewed.blogspot.com/
Angela - http://crazy3monkeys.blogspot.com/
Shelley - http://shelley-scrapbookingforfun.blogspot.com/
Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/
Mary Ann - http://scrappingg.blogspot.com/
Mary - http://irongatestamps.blogspot.com/  {you are here}
Tara - http://Craftindesertdivas.blogspot.com
Christine - http://hotberrydesigns.blogspot.com
Sharon - http://simplysweetbysharon.blogspot.com/
Sarah - http://itswhatkeepsmesane.blogspot.com
Carla - http://racincrafts.blogspot.com/
Heather - http://www.papercrafteranonymous.com/
Ashley - http://thebloghopprincess.blogspot.com
Holli - http://SunflowerHolli.blogspot.com

Thank you for stopping by and Happy Hopping!
Mary -

Tattered Floral Challenge

Hello Friends -
Hope you are having a great week!

Well, thank you Tim Holtz for having a challenge that encouraged me to open the box of a die that I have easily had for a year and use it!  What was I saving it for?  I do not know.  I guess my issues go beyond paper . . . .

Happy Day to you -
Mary -

 

This is a 4.25" x 4.25" card.

 

Sentiment Stamp - Iron Gate Stamps {my stamp company}

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics

Pattern Paper - Authentique and My Mind's Eye

Distress Ink - Ranger

Arrow and Brad - Tim Holtz

My Stash - Canvas, brown pen, twine

St. Patty's Day Blog Hop

Hello Friends -
I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Happy St. Patrick's Day and welcome to the St. Patty's Day Blog Hop!  Are you wearing green?  You had better or you will get pinched in this house!

If you came from Esther - http://forthejoyofcreating.blogspot.com/ you are in the right direction!

Sending you a bit of luck today!  I just felt like playing with paper.  Oh, how I love paper!  This card would be fun to make it I wanted to make many.



This card is 4.25" x 4.25"

 

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics

My Stash - Twine, Paper Tape, Paper Clips, Heart Punch, Scissors

To continue with The Hop {if you did not start at the beginning} please go to Ashley - http://thebloghopprincess.blogspot.com

Here's the whole hop:

Ashley - http://thebloghopprincess.blogspot.com ** be sure to check out here for BLOG CANDY!
Teresa-http://freshandrenewed.blogspot.com/
Miranda - http://www.nanasscrapspot.com/
Crystal - http://crystalscreativecorner.blogspot.com/
Jessi- http://www.mylifeinartsncrafts.com
Julie- http://jk-littlebitofbling.blogspot.com/
Angela - http://www.crazy3monkeys.blogspot.com/
Candace- www.papercraftsbycandace.com
Jamie- www.jamiek711designs.blogspot.com
Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/
Kim- www.puppiesandpapercrafts.com
Esther - http://forthejoyofcreating.blogspot.com/
Mary - http://irongatestamps.blogspot.com - you are here

If I am your last stop, thank you so much for hopping with us and have a Happy Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day -
Mary -

Festive Friday - Snowflake Challenge

Hello Friends -
Well it certainly is not hard to image a snowy project lately!  We keep having flurries here and there but no accumulation.  I am okay with that since it is mid-March and the crocus are trying to bloom!

Just a quick card for Festive Friday's Snowflake Challenge.  I left it sentiment-free.  Too early to tell what I might need it to be either a "Thank You" or "Merry Christmas".  But it is nice to keep growing my stash!

I did free-hand cut the white hexagon layer.  The Spellbinders layer was too big for my card creating too much white space.  Some is good, too much just looks funny (and not haha).  And it covered up more of the dry embossing underneath.

Have a Happy Day -
Mary -

This is a 4.25" x 5.5" card.

Snowflake Stamp Set - Iron Gate Stamps {my stamp company}

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics

Embossing Folder - Basic Grey by Sizzix through the Big Shot

Hexagon Dies - Spellbinders through the Big Shot

Ink - VersaMark

Embossing Powder - Stampendous!

My Stash - Seam Binding, Heat Gun

Guest Designer - Traci {aka Cricut Junkie}

Hello Friends -
I hope your week is going well!

Today, I have a guest designer . . . . Traci the Cricut Junkie!

Traci won my sponsor prize from the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.  She has graciously accepted being a Guest Designer for me over the next few weeks.  And I am so glad I asked!  Look what she has made:



Traci used the Birthday Wishes Stamp Set that you can purchase here at www.irongatestamps.com

You can go to Traci's blog: Cricut Junkie for the details on her creation.

Traci you are the best!  Thank you for sharing!

Have a Happy Day -
Mary -

Winner Day - For My Weekend Blog Candy

Hello Friends -

Happy Monday!

I love making people happy on Mondays!  I already did that at my away from the house part-time job and now for my other part time job . . .

Random Generator Jack picked the number six!!

He won the hat and disguise at our school's St. Pat's Party.
He has been wearing it everywhere!
He cracks me up!

Winner Lori Apgar wrote:  What a beautiful card!! Love the colors you used! Glad to be in this hop with you!

Thank you Lori!  Please e-mail me your contact information so I can send you your prize.  mary@irongatestamps.com

The Cake Walk is the BIG DEAL for the kids at our school's St. Pat's Party.  Jack was having a lucky day . . . he won the first round AND his cake was picked by the next winner (only because we had discussed you cannot pick your own cake.).  And a bigger deal . . . his sister was okay with not winning and happy for him that he won.  Wow, she is growing up!  And she did realize, no matter what cake was going home with us!

We brought two cakes and a pack of cupcakes as our contribution.  As always, moustaches are still a big hit!

Moustache Stamp {Birthday Wishes} - Iron Gate Stamps

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics

My Stash - Embossing Powder, Paper Tape, Scissors, VersaMark Ink Pad, Heat Gun

Happy Monday to you -
Mary -

Connie Can Crop's Birthday Bash Blog Hop - Blog Candy

 

Hello Friends -

Welcome to Connie Can Crop's Birthday Bash Blog Hop!

I hope you have had a great week!

Welcome if you have not stopped by the Tool Shed before! Please become a follower and let me know you were here.

This is a one day blog hop.  Please leave a comment to encourage all fabulous crafty friends to continue sharing their ideas and creations.

Since I released this Birthday Wishes Stamp Set for March, it worked out perfectly with this hop!  So leave me a comment and be a follower for your chance to win my BLOG CANDY {a Birthday Wishes Stamp Set}!!  And an extra chance if you follow me here on Face Book.

I was talking to my sister on the phone while I was arranging the card and waiting for the Stickles to dry.  I told her that this card does not look at all like what I had in mind when I started it.  It just evolved into this because of the plaid paper.  In my head it was to be in greens!

And for once I thought to add the Stickles *before* I stuck the image to the card!  You know what I mean . . . you have it all in place and decide to add the Stickles and then there is an air bubble and blah there goes a big glob of Stickles across the image.  I even thought to start the Stickles on a piece of scrap paper too - see I can be smart if I am making a card in the afternoon and not in the middle of the night!

The double pink layers under the cake are the same cardstock, just the flat side and the textured side.

This is a 4.25" x 5.5" card.

Stamps - Sparkler, Cake, Sentiment {Birthday Wishes Set} - Iron Gate Stamps {my stamp company}

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics

Pattern Paper - K&Company

Embossing Folder - Sizzix through the Big Shot

Ink - StazOn

Stickles - Cotton Candy, Orange Peel - Ranger

Baker's Twine - Pink/White, Orange/White - Hemptique
Watercolor Crayons - Caran d'Ache

My Stash - AquaPainter

 

IGS - Birthday Wishes Stamp Set
**My Blog Candy**

 

Look at this awesome BLOG CANDY Connie is offering to celebrate her Birthday!

What do you need to do to win?

Become a follower of each of the blogs in this hop and leave each of us a comment letting us know what you like best about our projects.

Then head over to http://conniecancrop.blogspot.com/ and post that you followed the rules.

You will have until 9:00 pm PST Sunday to finish the hop and leave your comments.

Hope you all enjoy this super celebration!

Your next stop is Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/

Here is the whole Hop:
1. Connie- http://conniecancrop.blogspot.com
2. Sandy- http://scrapbookblessings.blogspot.com

3. Mary - http://irongatestamps.blogspot.com/
4. Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/
5. Michele - http://michelescraftroom.blogspot.com/
6. Anita - http://scrappyhappymommy.blogspot.ca
7. Miranda - http://www.nanasscrapspot.com/
8. Lucy - http://love2createitall.com
9. Carolyn - http://www.grandmacarol46580.blogspot.com
10. Christine- http://hotberrydesigns.blogspot.com/
11. Tabetha- http://tabethascreations.blogspot.com/
12. Charity - http://thebookinroom.blogspot.com/
13. Lori - http://scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/
14. Jamie - http://www.jamielindstromdesigns.com/
15. Holli - http://sunflowerholli.blogspot.com
16. Jen - http://mybusycraftylife.blogspot.com/

Thank you for stopping by and a big Happy Birthday to Connie!
Happy Day to you -
Mary -

Paper Tape Banner Birthday Card -

Hello Friends -
I hope you are having a great weekend!

Our little neighbor friend's birthday came up fast and I needed a quick card.  I had these paper tape banners already made so this card took less than 10 minutes to assemble (needed a few minutes of drying time for the 2).

This is a 4.25" x 4.25" card.

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics

Stamp Set {Birthday Wishes} - Iron Gate Stamps {my stamp company}

Ink - StazOn

Watercolor Crayon - Caran d'Ache

My Stash - Paper Tape, AquaPainter, Buttons

"New" Birthday Wishes Stamp Set -

Hello Friends -
Hope you have a great week!!

Here we are . . . March!  Can you believe it?!  I cannot.  This year is flying by for me!

OK, so here is the first of a few new stamps that are available in the store - click here

Birthday Wishes

It is my birthday month so I had to do a Birthday Set. But it can go beyond Birthday . . . watch over the next few weeks for more ideas. Or . . . send me a link of what you make and I will give you a shout out!

Same size for both cards - 4.25" x 4.25". 

Same concept, embossed back ground, one color family, layers, watercolored cake, cut out glitter moustache.  I stamped the moustache in black (so if I miss with the glitter you cannot easily see it).  Then used a glue pen, sprinkled glitter, let dry and cut out.  I make about 8 moustaches at a time so I am ready to go when I need one.  Simple card for all genders of all ages.

Happy Day to you -
Mary -