Thanks, Friend!

Good Saturday to everyone. I hope you're enjoying some lovely weather to plant some flowers in honor of Earth Day, which was yesterday.

And it's in that vein that I bring you a fun woodlands card today using a new Lawn Fawn set called Critters in the Forest that arrived on my doorstep last week. I love, love, love these critters, especially the fox. *wink* This set just gets my head spinning with all kinds of ideas. There are so many possibilities for building scenes, like this one. And how appropriate that this week's Lawnscaping Challenge is Calling All Critters!!

I sat down with these cuties and got to stamping. I wanted just the right look for this little woodland scene. And wouldn't you know that I came up with this card on the first try. That, my friends, is a FIRST! LOL! Rather than coloring all of these adorable images, I decided to take a little time and paper piece them. The designers over at Lawn Fawn make their stamps super user friendly in that respect. Selecting the right paper took more time than actually stamping them and cutting them out. I really loved the white space on this card and Whitney suggested the rounded corner to give that white space a little more purpose - perfect!

In honor of Earth Day and just a general desire to bring some happy to my patio, I'm off to plant boockoos of flowers! Thanks for popping in today.

Mommy, Dearest

Hello all,

Coming to you today from a gloomy and rainy North Texas. Today I wanted to share with you another fabulous Mother's Day card that we are offering this year. This one is sure to bring a little glimmer to this dreary afternoon. The card that I came up with is one that I though up for my own mother...a little sweet, a little sassy, and I thought it was just perfect for my Fashion Forward Interior Designer of a Mother! As I have mentioned before, I have a certain love for Black and White. These papers and cute stamp really make this card pop and a tad of color on her outfit adds some sparkle and glitz! Be sure to come back and visit tomorrow to see our final option for Mother's Day cards!! I am sure you will be able to find one that will work for the fabulous mom in your life!

See you all tomorrow for the reveal of the final Mother's Day Card option!!!

Classic Grid to the Rescue

Good evening, everyone! We've had another round of severe weather here, but now the sun is shining brightly on its western descent and putting on quite a show of color as it makes its way to the horizon.

We're bringing you another Mother's Day card design today. Today's card is based on a grid sketch that I found to be very effective for drawing attention to the card's focal point. I think you can agree that your eye goes right to the sentiment and image before taking in the other wonderful card elements. We had the perfect patterned paper on hand to complete our grid, and the touch of green solidifies the garden theme.

I just love how this card turned out. While I wouldn't classify this as a "traditional" card, it's clean and simple and pushes the envelope on my usual style and was perfectly executed by Whitney. I love to use sketches and color challenges to push me outside of my comfort zone b/c so often it results in a beautiful card like this one that goes into my file of favorites. This is certainly a design that we will be able to turn to again and again with much success.

I hope you've enjoyed your stop by today. We have two more designs to share with you this week all of which are currently available for order!

Momma Bird, Baby Birds

Good Sunday afternoon to you all on this beautiful Palm Sunday! It's a busy day in the life of church musician, but it's one in which we get to share stunning music to celebrate a very special time in the liturgical year.

Despite our busy singing schedules, Whitney and I have carved out some time the last several days to bring some new products to you. Not only is it a busy time of year for singers, but it's also a busy time of year for card companies! So many special moments are to be celebrated in the next several months. Yesterday, Whitney shared our graduation offerings. And today, I'll be sharing the first of four selections for Mother's Day.

We recently got some new stamps and have been so anxious to get them all inky! This adorable set from Papertrey Ink lent itself perfectly to a Mother's Day selection. The color scheme is straight from TCP Tuesday #147 (pink, chocolate, teal) and the sketch is based on a card layout I saw somewhere in my recent blog hopping.

We wanted to offer a wide array of styles for Mother's Day. Today's card is sweet and whimsical. To give some more dimension to this cute scene of momma bird with her charges, I popped up several of the birds, along with the entire image panel. It's a very simple design really, but it's oh so effective in conveying its sweet message of the love of mother and children. Don't you think? I really love the way it turned out.

Thanks for stopping in today. Hop back by this week to see our other Mother's Day selections. Now I'm off to get ready for a big performance!

For the Grad

Hello All!

We're back today with some fun things for an exciting time of year. This is about the time that some young folk (and old folk too) are scrambling to finish term papers and final projects, preparing to sing senior recitals (for those of us in the music world at least), giving our thesis presentations, and racing to the finish line, all hoping that the graduation caps will be thrown and the parties will commence. We all know the best graduation present is money and you will definitely need something to put it in!! Enter our customizable money envelopes in which you can stuff that check or cash that your A+ student will be receiving. These little babies are customizable when it comes to school colors and names. This is an example for someone graduating from MY (and my grandfather's!) alma mater Southern Methodist University in Dallas!! We have a panel on the back where you can write your personal message or words of wisdom for the graduate. This one would of course say "Pony Up!"

We also have some great graduation cards in case you are not going to be handing the cash over :). Like all our cards, they are 4"x5.5" and mail with a regular first class stamp! This fun card was made for a graduate from Lake Highlands High School whose colors are Black and Red. These of course are also customizable for any particular school be it high school or college. Just let us know the school and we will make the card accordingly.

So whether you will be seeing the graduate after the ceremony or celebrating from states or countries away, these fun cards and envelopes are perfect for the graduate or graduates in your life. You can order these from us by emailing us at highnotesink<at>gmail<dot>com or sending us a message through our facebook page which you can get to from the left column of this blog!

I hope you all have a great afternoon. And happy crafting! Also be sure to check out our facebook page for new products that we haven't blogged about yet!!

I'll Take Two!

We're going on FIVE days of being snowed in here in N. Texas. Can you say stir crazy??! LOL! So what's a crafter to do when her partner in crime lives across town? Well, you Skype, of course! Whitney had a great idea for a card, but I just wasn't "getting it" through email or text. So we hopped on Skype and talked it out. Technology ... what would we do without it?! *heehee*

Today's card was inspired by the white space challenge over at 365 cards. We talked through all kinds of approaches to this challenge before settling on one - from buttons to ribbon to glitter. We were finally able to settle on a simple yet ingenious design that really fits the bill!

As you've heard quite a bit this last week, we are currently in the process of designing new product. One potential client has asked us for girly cards that sparkle b/c that's what appeals to her boutique customers. And that's how Glitzy Glam was born. This is the first card in that line, and we're simply smitten with it! I mean, what girl doesn't love glam that involves shoes, right?! I'll take two! *snicker*

I started with a super-sparkly pink base layer cut from a piece of DCWV glitter cardstock. Next, to meet the white space challenge, I cut a 3.5" circle from the cardstock, leaving the white base layer of my card exposed. Then it was time to build the focal point.

On one of my many forays to Michaels, I picked up some gem images for $1/pc. I knew they would be perfect for our boutique packs, and as you can see, I was right! In order to make the focal image pop, I mounted it on some SU! eggplant cardstock and cut it out. I affixed it to a small scalloped circle cut from my pink glitter cardstock and popped it up on two layers of dimensionals to really draw the eye to the center to the image. Next, I built some lovely Primas from the Calypso collection, drawing in our two primary colors - pink and purple. To add even more sparkle to the card, I covered the brads I used as flower centers with Crystal Effects and then coated them with some Martha Stewart tourmaline glitter. I slid these beauties underneath the oh-so-fab shoe and *voila*! Aren't you just in love? Makes me think of Cinderella at the ball!

Well, ladies, with some good crafting work under the belt and out of the way, I'm off to check on the cinnamon rolls that are warming in the oven. Yum! Have a good one!

Lil' Princess

Howdy! I'm sure you're thinking, "Wow, TWO posts in ONE day?!" I know ... it must be some kind of record!

Clearly Whitney and I are on a roll today with baby cards. Once you get in the groove, it's hard to make it stop. (And now you know how couples end up with two kiddos close together. *snicker*) LOL! In all seriousness, we're working on the latest line due up for release called Special Delivery. This is the second card in that line - Lil' Princess.

This design came together pretty quickly, particularly when we used a sketch and color challenge as sources of inspiration. (Have you noticed that's been a pattern as of late? We've figured out why all of the big-name designers use challenges so often. Takes SOME of the brain work out of coming up with cute, new stuff!) Once again, we turned to Moxie Fab for our color palette, using the Metallic Color Challenge for Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week, and the sketch is based on TCP Tuesday Sketch 19.

To draw in the metallic elements, we used a combination of shimmery paper (white background), iridescent gold Glimmer Mist (lightly misted over the pinkini strip), jewels, and ribbon. In person, this card is SUPER shimmery.

What we like most about this card is its versatility. While we originally designed it with our Special Delivery set in mind, it can easily be adapted for many other occasions with a simple change of the inside sentiment.

I hope you've enjoyed our second post for today. We're enjoying a super productive day in the craft room!

Special Delivery

Hello Ladies! Happy Sunday to you all.

Today I wanted to share an ADORABLE baby card we came up with while working in the craft room today. We used our cute Hello Kitty Sizzix diecut and some fun bright yellow felt to make this cute birdie!! We thought it would work wonders as a Welcome Baby card, and that's what it became! :) Once we had the bird, we realized that the Jewel Tones Color Challenge for Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week in the Moxie Fab World would be perfect to accompany our cute lil' birdie! Also, in trying to choose a layout for this card, we realized a slightly varied version of Wee Memories Challenge #41 would also be a great fit. So, this is our adorable creation!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Anniversary Wishes

Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope you're enjoying a nice, quiet weekend full of nothing but fun.

We created today's card in response to several requests for anniversary cards. In particular, our client was looking for cards that could be universal enough to give both to males and to females. Using the Moxie Fab's Neutrals Color Challenge for Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week as our chosen color palette and this week's Mojo Monday sketch for our layout, we were able to develop a card that fit the bill perfectly!

The color scheme is certainly neutral enough to be considered masculine, while the punch of sparkle in both the gems and the glimmer mist adds just a touch of feminine flair. We think our client will be pleased with the versatility of this design, which will soon be available in our I Love You, I Do line.

And with this bit of work out of the way, I'm off to enjoy some fun myself! Thanks for popping in today. Have a good one, ladies!

You're A Gem!

Hi Ladies!!

I can't believe it is already Friday...again! This week has FLOWN by! I am so ready for the weekend, how about y'all?

I wanted to share with you a line of cards that sold like HOT CAKES at our recent in-home show. It's called You're a Gem. I developed this line after I saw a similar card at the grocery store for $3.95!! What a rip! I knew I could make a whole line of these for so much cheaper, and boy did these ladies eat them up! I wanted to show you the first one in the line, which happens to be my favorite! We have 4 other sayings and pictures, and they come in a pack of 10 - 2 of each saying. So a total of 10 cards for $15.00 AND they are so much cuter than the one I saw at Tom Thumb. I thought the little sunshine would be perfect for today in honor of the beautiful weather we are having here in North Texas.

Thanks for stopping in ladies! I hope you have a nice start to your weekend!

Things I Love about YOU

Hi All,

TGIF, right? Oh my, what a week this has been. We are preparing for one of our in-home shows and the card production has been on turbo all week! Since it is only a couple weeks until holiday created by card and flower companies, I thought we would do another post of this CUTE card in our selection of Valentine's that is awesomely customizable!

Now, my boyfriend wants me to make him cards that I don't make for other people (since I sell cards, he thinks that they are not special if they are not one-of-a-kind. how silly!) and a card like this is perfect for people like him. You can personally write in your 5 favorite things about your loved one, and it is something that no one else has! How great is that? I know mine will love that!! Also, they are able to take out the cute tag on which you wrote your 5 favorite things about them, and they can put it on their desk at work or keep it in their drawer and see it everyday, as opposed to put it in the box where they keep all your other cards like my boyfriend does...hey, at least he keeps them, right?

I hope y'all enjoy the post for today. I am so sappy and I just LOVE Valentine's day. This card is great for making someone's Valentine's day special! I don't know how I will choose one to give my Honey...he might end up with a couple - all personalized of course ;).

Cozy Kitty

Hi-ho, everyone! How are you on this dreary Thursday?? Another northern has blown in overnight, and the cold wind is whipping out there, let me tell ya!

But on our card today, kitty looks all warm & cozy on that chair, dontcha think? *wink* This card is from a new line of cards called Simply Thank You.  We've had a number of requests for this pack, and we're pleased as punch with how they all turned out! Though I must admit that this one is my absolute favorite of the bunch. (I'm kind-of a cat person. LOL!)

The Simply Thank You collection is comprised solely of thank-you cards. You get two each of five different designs with coordinating envelopes (for a total of 10 cards & envelopes).

Hope you enjoyed your stop in today. I'm headed back under my fuzzy blanket!

My Punny Valentine

Good Morning Ladies and Happy Wednesday to you all!

Today I thought I would bring you this adorable line of cards that we finished last night called My Punny Valentine (named after the Papertrey Ink stamps that we used on them, of course!). They truly are some of my favorites!! First I have to say that the sentiments are just adorable! So fun and creative and they make the perfect cards for giving as Valentine's to office friends or for your kids to hand out to their teachers on Valentine's Day. You really can't go wrong with these cards!! To see all the sentiments we offer in our 10card pack, just click on the image below to enlarge it! They really turned out SUPER cute!






Ever since I first started stamping and card making, I have developed a clean style. It is something that just pleases my eye and it has stuck with me, so this type of card really hits the spot! At first, I was not sure about such a small focal point on such a blank card, but there is something about it that screams YES! to me, especially after I saw Kelly's card below and I decided that we could run with the idea! I mean, if Kelly made it, then it MUST be good! :) And since our design for this line of cards was inspired by this week's Lawnscaping Challenge: CASE Mrs. Lawn Fawn Herself, Kelly Alvarez. We chose this card. Her simple yet beautiful style really inspires me and I hope I can come up with as many beautiful ideas as she has been able to! She really has to be one of my very favorite designers!

Well, thanks everyone for stopping by, and we hope that this card sends a little Valentine cheer a few weeks early. It never hurts to get some extra lovin' this time of year!!

Flower Power

Hello Everyone!!!

Happy Monday and MLK Day to you all!

Hopefully, if you are usually working at this time, you got today off like Susan and I did!! It is for that reason we decided to make today a productive day of creating and assembling tons and tons of cards for our up coming in-home show!  After a quick trip to the local craft store, we were able to whip this baby out!

This card is one of our Card of the Month cards. You can sign up to be in the Card of the Month Club to receive 1 usable card each month that relates to a holiday in the following month! The cost is $60 for a 1 year subscription, which includes it being delivered right to your door. Each card comes with a coordinating envelope and is ready to be used by you! Cards mail out on the 15th of each month, and this little baby is our February COTM. With our choices of March holidays being St. Patty's Day and First Day of Spring, we decided to go with the latter and start the season off right with these bright colors! The color palette for this card was inspired by the Bright & Bold Color Challenge for Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week in the Moxie Fab World. 

used on this card:

paper - Recollections orange, white

ink - SU!

stamp - SU! flowers, Papertrey Ink sentiment

misc - Score Tape, Martha Stewart glitter, buttons, embroidery floss

Hope this brings a little color to your day ladies!! Thanks for stopping by and now back to the crafting table to dream up more ideas!! 

Simple Yet Effective

Hi everyone!

Today's card is one of my favorite simple cards that we offer in our line of products. Simple Sentiments was created when we were looking for a way to get across a sweet message without all the hoopla that we put on some of our other cards. So here goes with today's design!

I am a huge fan of simple designs that focus on solid colors and layout, and that's how this card came to be.  I also love using Kraft cards because they really make a card unisex, and I know how hard it is to find some nice cards for the men in our lives, and this card works for just about anyone! 

We do have many different sentiments such as Happy Birthday, Get Well Soon, Thinking of you, Missing You, and tons more! They come in a pack of 5 cards, and are the perfect pack to keep in your car in case of a "card emergency"! And since the colors and card are so universal, they will be suitable for anyone!!

Hope you enjoy this card as much as I do! 

Now off to a late breakfast!

Hooray for sleeping in!

Hey, Baby

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Have you thought about how you might surprise the Love of Your Life with a love note?? Well, do we have just the thing for you! A new line that we like to call Wallet Lovin'.

These little notes are the perfect size to secretly slip into a wallet (hence the name *wink-wink*) or brief case or lunch box. Just write a personal note on the back and *voila* instant lovin'! Wouldn't you just beam if you found one of these little surprises waiting for you?!

We offer two styles of Wallet Lovin': Hello, Kiddo and Hey, Baby (shown). These mini cards do not come with envelopes since we know you'll want your recipient to get right to the good stuff without all the fanfare of 'unwrapping' it.

Whitney's boyfriend is already a HUGE fan and even goes so far as to ask for them. LOL! Which gives me an idea .... Since my hubby has had such a hard week, maybe it's time for me to give him a little of this good Wallet Lovin', whaddaya think??

New Line: Simply Sympathy

Hi, everyone! Life in the church can come with many ups and downs - from weddings to funerals to baptisms. With these events come many card-worthy occasions. Our colleagues have recently expressed how difficult it is to find the right sympathy card. It needs to be gentle, soothing, meaningful, heartfelt, and encouraging without being overly sappy or a total Debbie Downer. We have not found very many of these cards on the mass market, and so we developed this line of cards - Simply Sympathy - to fulfill this need. Below is our first design in the Simply Sympathy line.

The color scheme for this card was inspired by the Pretty Pastels Color Challenge for Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week in the Moxie Fab World. We thought the pastel pallet worked well for a more feminine sympathy card one might send to a friend or relative. We used a simple-one layer design using dimension only in the butterfly to draw attention to the comforting sentiment.

Simply Sympathy comes in a standard pack of five cards. Each card is an individual design with a coordinating envelope. The cards are designed to be universal, though some have a more feminine or masculine feel.

Check back soon for more of our new products.

And now off to bed to catch my beauty sleep so I can get up and do this again tomorrow!

Used on this card:

Stamp: Upsy Daisy (SU!)

Ink: Pale Plum, Rose Red, Lavender Lace (SU!)

Paper: Lavender Lace (SU!), Blossom

New Product Photos are Up!

For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting the release of the full-sized photos of our current pre-order items, here they are in all their glory. We hope you're as thrilled with these options as we are!

2011 Christmas Card Club


2010 Holiday Thank-You Card Club



Head over to Pre-Order page for all of the details about each Card Club. Tune in tomorrow evening to hear about our weekend Sneak Peek Open House and learn the winners of our two fabulous door prizes!

Until next time, happy stamping!