Glad you’re here!

Welcome to IT’S FROM ME  ~  creating cards with hands… and heart.

 Linda  xo

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About IT’S FROM ME:

I created IT’S FROM ME as a source for hand-made crafts, cards and creative inspiration.  Sending hand-written notes and hand-made gifts are easy ways to share your creativity and express heartfelt sincerity… The perfect way of saying, “it’s from me.”

“Card-Making for Kids” Workshops:

My ”Card-Making for Kids” workshops are unique paper-crafting programs for children ages 8 and up, where I strive to inspire children to create with their hands, their minds and their hearts.  Making a beautiful card project inspires creativity and expression from within, helps build self-esteem and encourages us to think of others.  Creative energy at its best!

About my workshops:

• Projects are designed to engage students and are based on age and ability.
• Students will learn fun techniques for card-making and paper-crafting, including layout design, craft punching and basic rubber-stamping.
• All supplies are provided.
• Each student receives a theme-based project packet, including pre-cut cardstock when necessary, and is guided through the crafting of their card and embellishments.
• These “make and take” home projects are always suitable for mailing or for display.

For more information or to schedule a workshop at your library, school or community center in Westchester County, New York., please contact me at linda@itsfromme.com.

For photos, tutorials and event info, please browse my blog here at itsfromme.wordpress.com or visit it’s from me on Facebook.

So glad you came!

Sincerely,

Linda Sugrue

it’s from me, LLC, Briarcliff Manor, New York, USA

Visiting Newtown

Saturday, April 20, 2013 ~ Card-Making for Kids, Newtown, CT

Big thanks going out to HEALING NEWTOWN for welcoming me and “Card-Making for Kids” to their inspirational Art Space in Newtown, Connecticut. (photo provided by Healing Newtown).

Visiting Newtown:

          This past weekend I traveled to the HEALING NEWTOWN Art Space in Newtown, CT, the home of Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Like countless others,  I have tried to make sense of the tragedy that occurred here this past December.  And I share with so many others the desire to reach out and show this suffering community how much we truly care about them.

          When I heard about Healing Newtown’s mission of “Healing Through the Arts” I hoped my “Card-Making for Kids” classes would fit in.   My teaching goal has always been to encourage children to create with their hands and their hearts, and when I was invited to bring my program to Newtown, I was truly honored.

          In advance of my visit, I started a donation effort in two wonderful towns to benefit the Art Space: Briarcliff Manor and Chappaqua, both here in Westchester County, NY.   We collected hundreds of dollars worth of donations including art supplies and every day supplies ranging from pencils and pens, markers and papers to batteries and cleaning products and even a first aid kit.   We also inspired folks to donate directly to Healing Newtown via healingnewtown.org.  I am so thankful to all who reached out and donated.  I was honored to represent our area of Westchester County.

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Our kindness card:

          The project we worked on was this beautiful frienship card in orange, yellow and green featuring spring-like embellishments to reflect growth and life.  The message was ”friendship warms the heart,” – a reminder that being kind to others is a way of life, not just for when those are in need.

          The girls made hand-made flowers by layering punch cuts on top of each other and alternating the petals.  They added green “leaves” and self-stick pearls and positioned them onto their patterned cardstock, added a basket-weave style oval and polka dot ribbon.  They hand-embossed their cardstock ahead of time (and their envelopes too – thanks Emily!) with my Big Shot and a heart embossing folder.

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A truly memorable day…  Enjoy the photos:

ready to craft at the Art Space

our card kits

punch art pieces in style

hand-made embossed cardstock

our layering pieces

Our Card-Making for Kids table

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Super easy flowers and embellishments:

mini flowers

daisies!

flower shapes

orange hydrangea

layering ovals

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Card-Making for Kids in progress:

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Some of our final and creative works of art:

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And finally, here are some photos of the beautiful works of art, donated to the Art Space from around the country and around the world:

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Prayers of love and healing for the Newtown and Sandy Hook communities,

Until next time,

~ Linda ~

paper craft globe

Happy Earth Day 2013!!

Paper craft this simple “Earth” with your kids!

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1. Punch cut or trace and cut a circle shape from blue cardstock.

2. Trim random pieces of green cardstock with scallop scissors.

3. Adhere green pieces onto blue circle leaving some portions over the edge

4. Trim around the edges.

5. Add to any paper project. Be creative!

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Until next time, keep crafting with your kids!

~ Linda ~

Earth Day love

HAPPY EARTH DAY 2013

Simple message.  Huge meaning.

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Let’s love our Earth!

 

~ Linda~

Materials Used: Paper: Stampin’ Up! Whisper White;  Stamp: Stampabilities: Globe, SU! “With love”;  Ink: Memento: Tuxedo Black;  Markers: Copics

strawberry hello

Friday, April 12, 2013 ~ St. Joseph School ~ Card-Making for Kids 

I know it’s only the beginning of Spring here in New York, but don’t these yummy strawberries bring you right into summer?

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The students had a blast with the Big Shot and my polka dot embossing folder today. We embossed a simple kraft card base and added some polka dot design paper with a decorative white border.

Then we created these yummy punch art strawberries…that looked good enough to eat!

punch art strawberries

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Here’s the simple how-to:

1. punch out heart and flower from red & green cardstock.
2. trim heart point straight if desired.
3. emboss heart with dotted embossing folder.
4. adhere “leaves” to top of heart.
5. add to your card project!

Until next time, keep crafting!

~ Linda ~

Materials Used:

Paper:  Stampin’ Up!: Crumb Cake, Recollections: red, printed dotted cardstock, Bazzill: Bank Roll;  Tools:  Sissix Big Shot, polka dot embossing folder;  Punches: Fiskar’s heart, Martha Stewart flower, SU! 2 3/8″ scallop circle, 1 3/4″ oval, Recollections border, EK Success 1 1/2″ oval;  Stamps:  SU! Hello Again;  Ink: SU! Ruby Red

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If you LOVE this embossing technique, please contact my Stampin’ Up Demonstrator: Diane-Callahan-Caro to order the tools you need… and tell her Linda sent you (;

pinwheel card

Pinwheel in the sky…

Embellish your card projects with hand-made paper pinwheels!

Today’s Card-Making for Kids class was all about pinwheels!

In today’s workshop, the children learned how to create these adorable paper pinwheels with a super easy template and simple paper-crafting supplies.

Here’s how you can do it too:

Choose your favorite design paper and cardstock card-base.  Add some punch cut clouds, a lollipop stick and a sweet birthday sentiment, and you have a perfect-pinwheel in-the-sky!

View my photo tutorial: How to ~ pinwheel here

Until next time, keep crafting!

~ Linda ~

Materials Used:   Paper: Stampin’ Up!, Recollections;  Tools: Fiskars mini cloud punch, EK Success dotted scallop edge punch;  Stamps/Ink: Stampabilities/SU! Regal Rose;  Misc: paper lollipop sticks, jumbo brads, gel pens, adhesive foam squares

project-in-a pinch: how to pinwheel

How to make a paper pinwheel:

~ Cut paper into a perfect square

~ Make cuts from corner tip toward center (about halfway to center)

~ Affix glue dot to center.

~ Fold up bottom left of cut edges onto glue dot.

~ Make several pinwheels and layer for effect!

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For project ideas using this tutorial, please see my pinwheel party bag craft…

pinwheel party bag

  …or my pinwheel card:

pink pinwheel card

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Until next time, keep crafting!

~Linda ~

HealingNewtown

Our hearts and prayers are with you Newtown, Connecticut…

           I am honored to be bringing my Card-Making for Kids program to Healing Newtown this April in Newtown, Connecticut, to help “Heal Newtown Through the Arts.”

AND…

Healing Newtown is now accepting donations for their HealingNewtown Art Space.

Below is a guide for items needed for this effort as of March 18, 2013.  However, kindly direct all donations, inquiries, etc. inspired by this blog to Healing Newtown via:

http://www.healingnewtown.org/

They are happy to hear from you!

You can also find Healing Newtown on Facebook & on Twitter, and you can see the Art Space here.

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If you live here in Westchester, please drop small items in the blue bin at Value Drugs, Briarcliff Manor, NY – I will deliver them on April 20, 2013 when I visit Newtown! 

Thank you Anthony and Ken from Value Drugs, Briarcliff for your support.   You guys are awesome!!  Thank you also to Sarah at the Pleasantville/Briarcliff Manor Patch for featuring our efforts!  (view their article about it here)

Let’s fill up this bin folks!

Donation needs per Healing Newtown as of March 18, 2013:

#1    Padded folding Chairs are on top of the list! (about 100)
#2   Art Display Systems (Something like these: http://www.squidoo.com/The-Best-Artwork-Display-Units  or these: http://www.propanels.com

• Large Coat Rack and Hangers
• Shelving (Industrial/stand-alone)
• Big Locking Cabinets
• Rope
• Chain/Stanchions (crowd control – like the banks have)
• Interlocking Gym Floor/Mats
• Water (the big containers) or a water cooler with those big bottles donated.
• K-Cups (coffee), splenda, sugar, equal, stirrers, coffee cups
• LARGE first aid kit
• Paper (8.5 x11) for printers and copiers
• Duct tape, masking tape, scotch tape, artists tape, electric tape, painters tape
• Batteries – all types
• Easels
• Rolls of canvas
• Drop Cloths
• Cleaning Supplies
• Anti-Bacterial soap, lotion, wipes
• Writeable (blank) CDs, DVDs, and cases
• USB memory sticks, SDHC memory cards
• Hand Wagons/carts
• Pens, Pencils, Notepads
• DVD/Blue-ray player (& family oriented movies and art related movies/programs)
• DVD/Blue-ray/laptop Projector and very large screen
• Laptops & External Hard Drives & software (especially Microsoft office, Norton Anti-Virus), mice, trackballs, usb cables, etc…
• Power cords, surge protectors, battery back-up
• Full Size Refrigerator
• Safe (heavy) Ergonomic Office Chairs
• Furniture – sofa, armchairs, coffee tables, desks

**Again, please visit  http://www.healingnewtown.org/  for all questions and support.

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Thank you for reaching out to the healing community of Newtown, Connecticut, USA.

~ Linda ~