24 Olive Street

card making favorites

So over the past several months I've been creating lots of projects for Sweet Stamp Shop. The new stamp sets that come out each month just get better and better and I've had so much fun playing with them in addition to the awesome new dies that are in the shop! Seriously, the less fussy cutting I have to do the better! So when the dies were launched I was sure to get some!!! And don't get me started on how fun the Sticky Sweet stickers are to play with!

There's a December stamp release happening in about a week. But first I just wanted to share some of my recent favorite projects:

Merry Mousemas // Candy Stripe Alpha, Christmas Is Coming

Seriously, that mouse?? Cutest thing ever. Like, I want to stamp him on every project!

This Wizards set, one of my all-time favorites!

Who doesn't love a cute Sailor boy??

And Zombies are my other absolute favorite. I've used these stamps so many times in my planner along with card making. Can't get enough of them!!

I have some Christmas projects that I've been working on that I'll be sharing soon so stay tuned!

season of gift giving

As we head into the holiday season I am finding myself trying to keep things as organized as possible to keep the craziness to a minimum. And one of the ways I do that is to keep all of my gift giving/packaging items together - and prepared ahead of time - so that they're easy to grab when I need them.

The key to this is preparing them before you will need them!

I like to keep everything together in some kind of tray (found this letter basket at Target) along with all of the 'accessories' and goodies I'll need. So let me walk you through what I have pulled together!

What I usually start out doing is stamping a bunch of images on cardstock that I can then punch out for cards & tags. I usually break it up into stages...one day I'll stamp a bunch of images, another day I'll do the coloring, another day punching them out, etc. If you have kids you can even get them involved. I've 'hired' my kids to be 'punchers' many times, they love to help :)

For the punched images I like to make simple 3x3 gift cards (great for when you want more than just a tag on a gift). Sometimes I just punch a hole for a simple tag. I usually like to have lots of extras of these for whatever I might need (no matter how well I plan there always seems to be a last minute gift or 2!)

I also make up a bunch of simple gift tags. Now I have a tag punch which is very handy but if you don't have that you could even use shipping tags. The bonus part about using those is that they already have a string attached. Easy peasy!

And then there's my Christmas mini book. I make one of these every year. I'm very much a paper and pen kind of gal :) I like to keep it on the smaller side (this year I made it 4 1/2" x 6") so that I can slip it into my planner or purse when I go shopping. This year I knew I wanted to have George on the cover...yes, I gave that cute pup a nickname ;). And I was inspired by this holiday mini book. I simply take some cardstock and graph paper (I love using graph paper for my mini books) and stitch down the spine (be sure to use long stitches if sewing). You could also attach with 2 holes and some twine, staples, etc.

Inside I stamped on some of the pages to get my holiday organization started. I'll customize more as I go.

As we get closer to December I'll probably add more to my stash (probably some shipping tags for sure), but here's what I typically have in my gift giving tray: gift tags (several types), small gift cards, pens, twine, stapler, scissors, hole punch, washi tape, sticky notes (several sizes including one of my sticky note books), assorted clips, & my mini book.

I like to keep it out on my desk or even on the kitchen counter so that it's easy to grab & find what I need. And having everything in a tray makes it easy to grab & take wherever I need it. It's also great for my kids because when they need a tag for a gift they know right where to go...no hunting around for tags, tape, etc.

I hope this helps you get and stay organized this holiday season!! For more inspiration, be sure to follow Sweet Stamp Shop on Facebook and Instagram!

Stamp sets used (click image for more info):

create a stamped border

Today I have a quick and easy way to add a stamped border on your card making projects. Sometimes when I stamp an image it looks like there should just be something 'more'. That's where this stamped border comes in! It also gives you an excuse to use more of those cute phrases in your Sweet stamp sets ;)

I started off with a 3x3 piece of white cardstock and the obvious cast of characters...stamp sets, ink, stamping block. But I'm also going to use some washi to help me create my stamped border. I decided to use a pretty light ink for the border because I didn't want it to overpower my main image (hello cute ice cream!!)

Now you can wing it stamping your border or you can use your washi to help you make a straight line. You'll notice I winged it and, while it's not exactly straight, you won't notice much once the card is done. But instead of stamping right to the edge I'm going to use my washi to mask off where I want my next row to go (just a tad wider than the stamp you're using). I stamped right over that & then pulled up the washi & did that on all 4 corners so I would have an nice stamped border. Note: I used washi that wasn't very sticky. You don't want the washi ripping your paper!

I did that all around the edge of my cardstock. After that I simply stamped my main image & colored. See? Easy peasy!!

And this is the finished card:

Supplies used:

Stamps: Little Cooler, Treats, Speech Bubbles

Ink: Memento tuxedo black, Color Theory glass slipper

Be sure to head over to the Sweet Facebook page to get the latest updates on new releases & inspiration!

adding dimension to your cards

Today I wanted to share some simple ways to add dimension to your cards. Ya know, when I first started making cards years back the techniques were pretty simple. But card making has come a long way over the years. And while there's lots of different and unique techniques out there, I tend to lean more toward the simple style. So adding dimension can make a huge difference.

My main go-to for adding dimension is foam dots. It's amazing how different you can make a card look by simply raising the image off the card a bit. You'll notice I used foam dots not only on the clouds and unicorn but also on the background.

A few more ideas for adding dimension - glitter, sequins, ribbon, & glossy accents are a few. You'll notice that I've used a few of those on this card and it makes a big difference. Just to show you, check out these 2 cards...

They are both the same style yet the one on the right has the images raised with foam dots along with glitter added to the clouds & unicorn. The left image, while still cute, looks a little bit flat doesn't it?

So I encourage you to try these basic techniques to add a bit more dimension to your cards! As always, be sure to follow Sweet Stamp Shop on Instagram & Facebook for more inspiration!

Stamp sets used: Unicorn, Dragon

stamping beyond the cards

Hey there! I have a fun little project for you! Each month when the new Sweet stamps come out my first thought is "what can I do with these beyond card making??" Don't get me wrong, I love making and giving handmade cards. But I'm a scrapbooker at heart so I'm always thinking of ways to use my stamps for projects other than cards. And really, there's so many ways you can use your stamps!

So today I wanted to share a quick project with you that is actually something I've done in one way or another for years - making handmade luggage tags for family trips. My family is big into Disney and every time we take a trip there I like to make personalized items for a bit of added fun! So I pulled out the Royal Wish stamp set because it is absolutely perfect for this project!

To make the tags I used ID badge holders (found at any office supply store) along with some patterned paper that I stamped on (rather than stamping on white cardstock & coloring the image).

You'll notice that I stuck with the same stamp set but changed the look simply by using different colored papers & ink pads.

I used the Alpha Tabs stamp set for my kids' names but you could certainly use any alpha set (Outline Lower Alpha would look super cute!)

These tags are fun to use on your luggage/bags all decorated with cute stamps and you can put your personal info on the back. Add some ribbon and you're done! And you aren't limited to just luggage tags, you can use them on kids' backpacks, lunch bags, etc! This is also a fun project to involve the kids. My little one saw what I was doing and 'helped' me pick out ribbon for my tags :)

Quick tip - to keep your ribbon ends from fraying simply take a lighter (or match) and carefully melt the very edge of the ribbon!

There are so many fun stamp sets that you could use for this project. How about the new Super Boy & Girl Power stamp sets??! Those would make adorable tags for sure!!

I hope this inspires you to think outside the card so to speak!! As always, be sure to follow Sweet Stamp Shop on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest for more inspiration!!

Stamp sets used: Royal Wish, Alpha Tabs, Dragon, Washington Life

Ink pads: Color Theory (well red, glass slipper, lime light), Memento (tuxedo black)

hey there!

I realize it's been quite a while since I've blogged. I didn't realize just how long til I looked and...whoa, nearly 2 months??!! Although, I'm not sure if it matters. Anyone still following my little blogerooni??!!

Hello?? lol

If you're on Instagram you can find me @24olivestreet. I post there more frequently. And facebook here. But I really want to get back into blogging.

A couple weeks ago I was a vendor at the Fancy Farmgirl Vintage Market. Getting ready for that took up a lot of my time the past month. This show is a lot of fun and this year it was almost twice as big as last year. Great vendors, great customers, great time! And I was totally exhausted after!!

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Mother's Day was absolutely fabulous. I had mentioned to the hubs last week that I thought it odd that despite the fact that I love flowers and love to garden no one ever gets me flowers for Mother's Day {hint hint} So I got a gift certificate to my favorite nursery, great handmade cards, and a beautiful hanging basket.

Guess the hints worked ;)

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I've been working on lots of projects, like these for Noel Mignon:

More on my Disney travel journal here.

More on my "So You" mini-album here.

Noel's kits always have me inspired. They are filled to the brim with scrappy goodness (seriously, you won't find another kit club out there that gives you this much bang for your scrappy buck as these kits!). We have a Disney trip coming up this summer (so stinkin' excited!!!) and I'm planning on using some of the Pack Your Bags kits for another travel journal. We also have something pretty cool coming up this summer so if you're not following Noel Mignon head over to Facebook & Instagram to keep up with all of the latest & greatest news!!

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And these for Sweet Stamp Shop:

It's been so much fun getting back into card making & stamping again. I had gotten out of it a little bit over the last few years and it's been so much fun creating fun cards again!! Nicole always comes up with the cutest stamps every month. And the planner stamps...oh the planner stamps. Love them all!!

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So, despite the fact that we are in the middle of baseball season & counting down the days til summer vacation (and our summer Disney vacation!! Woohoo!!!) I have a lot more projects I'll be sharing here :)

December release // Sweet Stamp Shop

It's release time!! And this month there are some super cute stamp sets including petitie sweet sets which are smaller stamp sets. Oh the cuteness!!

Here's a few cards I made with the new stamps this month:

You can head over here to check out all of the new sets this month. And be sure to follow Sweet Stamp Shop on Instagram and Facebook!! You can also head over to the SSS blog for more inspiration (current release projects will be up later today!)

thankful gifts

Two days until turkey day!! And this year I'm thankful for great teachers & like to show my appreciation throughout the year. I'm also all about making thoughtful, yet simple, gifts.

So I pulled out my Fall Leaves stamp set to make up some cute tags to wrap up some homemade banana bread (recipe at the bottom!). I found these cute little paper loaf pans at my local grocery store but I've also seen them at other places.

To wrap them up I just took a gallon size plastic bag and cut the top slider part off. I just tucked the corners up underneath and sealed with tape. Then I closed it up with some jute/twine & added a cute tag with some stamped leaves (the leaves were stamped on white cardstock, colored with Copics, & cut out & attached to the tag).

And that's it!

I also have another gift giving idea using the new Taco 'Bout It stamp set. For Christmas I'm planning on giving my son's teacher a jar of homemade salsa and some red & green tortilla chips (from Target). So I made a cute tag to hang on the salsa jar with the stamped images colored with Copics.

Again, easy & cute!!

By the way, all of the stamps at Sweet Stamp Shop are on sale this week for a Black Friday week long extravaganza!! That Fall Leaves stamp set is just $3.95 (reg. $7.95). So if you want to get some amazing deals on great stamp sets be sure to head over there!!

Banana Nut Bread

1/2 cup cooking oil

1 cup sugar (I use a bit less)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3 bananas, ripe and mashed

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 T milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts

Mix oil and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs and bananas; beat well by hand. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into greased and flourd break pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. The mini loaves baked for about 45 min.

** I also sprinkle with raw sugar before baking **

Ahoy projects

I have a few more projects to share today from the Ahoy kit! It's amazing how this cute little kit can pack a big punch!

I made this pocket page for my little one's album. I didn't have quite enough photos for an entire 12x12 page so I opted for one of the smaller pocket pages (Design J) with the 3x4 & 4x4 inserts.

I added a couple labels from my stash & stamped with the cute stamps in the kit & added a couple of the wood embellishments (I absolutely love the font in these stamps!!)

I know it's hard to tell in the photos but I added glossy accents to the cute ship & added my journaling along the sail.

I wrapped some black twine around the anchor and attached it to the anchor paper with the glossy accents (since I already had it out!).

I also created a few simple cards with the kit.

This one was made with one of the fun die-cuts in the kit.

And I created these cards with the cute little popsicle & watermelon stamps in the kit. I also added glossy accents to make them pop a bit.

I'll have one more project (a vacation mini) to share from this kit next week!!

Ahoy!

I am so excited to be a guest designer this month for Sweet Stamp Shop! Nicole's stamps are absolutely adorable. I got the play with 2 kits this month and today I'll share a couple projects with the Ahoy kit that just released today.

Isn't it cute??!! So much fun for all of those summer/beach/vacation photos!!

There several 4x6 cards along with 3x4 cards, a fun summertime stamp set, die cut cards, & some fun wooden embellishments.

I decided to work on some photos from our trip to Mackinaw several years back. This kit worked perfectly!

I added some chipboard letters from my stash for the title on my photo. I also stamped on several of the photos & then added some yellow enamel dots (also from my stash).

Those red lifesavors (that's what they're called right??) were actually a 4x6 card. Since I only had one other horizontal photo that I wanted to use in a page protector of all vertical photos, I opted to print at 4x6 & then cut in half for 2 slots. Then I took smaller pieces of the lifesavor card & added them to the edges (so now I still have a bit of that card left to use on anothe project).

I also stamped the "vacationed here" on yellow patterned paper, cut out with a punch, added some enamel dots & used pop dots to pop it up from that red striped card. And then that "summertime" stamp makes a fun background by simply stamping it on an angle on white cardstock!

I also made a simple card out of a 4x6 striped card and trimming down one of the 3x4 cards mounted on cardstock & popdots...and enamel dots again :)

I'll have more projects to share soon! You can also head to the Sweet Stamp Shop blog for lots of inspiration!!