Sweet!

This card is one that would be great for any kind of celebration, and when the end of the school year rolls around, I'm always in need of celebration cards!

I used the ice cream image from the Tim Holtz Mini Blueprints 6 set, with a bit of masking, for the main image. The Viva la Verve April 2014 Week 4 sketch has a heart as the center element, so, after coloring the ice cream cones, I dry embossed a heart using a die, over the image. All the teeny hearts on the card came from the heart circle die cut that is behind the image. I added some Glossy Accents to the ones on the ice cream cones to make them look a little like cherries, then I liked it so much, I did the same to the rest of them, too. The "Sweet" sentiment is from an MFT Stamps set, and was heat embossed with a red glitter ep.

The inside is simple, but took a little bit of planning to be able to use the slivers of scraps that were left from the front of the card, but I do love using up those little scraps. ;) The sentiment is from the Birthday Sentiments MFT Stamps set.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a Sweet Week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve April 2014 Week 4 Sketch Challenge-VLVApr2014
613 Avenue Create #69: Anything Goes
The Paper Shelter #156: Use that Ribbon

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Picture Perfect

I don't seem to need much sleep. I often craft the night away, sometimes not stopping until it's time to get ready to take my daughter to school the next morning! But, I spent a lot of time keeping an eye on the weather radar last night as the storm went through here, and that was exhausting! So, I'm making this post very short so I can head off to bed before the next round of storms starts again in a few hours.

I've had this Picture Perfect Marci La-La Land image for quite awhile, but haven't used it until now because I wasn't sure I'd be able to color it well enough to actually be able to use it on a card. But, I've kept it on my craft table ever since I got it; because it's so cute, I knew I would eventually want to ink it up. And, I'm glad I did, as it was really fun to color. She is colored with Copics and her shirt and shorts (or is that leggings?) are paper pieced. I used a gold Spica pen on the frame. 

The "Picture Perfect" sentiment is from the Picture Perfect stamp set, and the "amazing" sentiment is a CAS-ual Friday stamp.

If you are in the path of tonight's round of storms, stay safe! Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Sugar Pea Designs Sketch Challenge 02 (SPDSS02)

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge #216: Tic Tac Toe (Pearls, Ribbon, Polka Dots)

613 Avenue Create Challenge #69: Anything Goes

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Feathers

I've been busy the past couple of weeks, working on a project I've designed to teach at my local stamp store, Impressive Ideas, in May. It includes a box, notecards, tags, and a handbound mini book, and features a faux metal technique. It has been great fun to make, and I can hardly wait for classes to start! :)

In the meantime, I've got a masculine birthday card to share.  I'm loving all the feathers that are everywhere right now, and I finally got a small feather die set! Yay!

The blue feathers are Spellbinders Feathers on the Wind dies, and I just love the embossed detail in them. The third feather is one I made from an old dictionary page. Can you see the word, "feather" on it? The "f" got trimmed off just a little bit, but it's there. A closer shot of it is in the banner pic. The lattice element behind the feathers is a Tim Holtz die cut. To make it, I layered several die cuts, glued them to another piece of cardstock, then covered it with a piece of aluminum foil that I almost threw out! I was doing some experimenting, a couple of weeks ago, with different coloring mediums, and this piece wasn't doing much for me, so I sat it aside, figuring it was destined for the trash. Glad that didn't happen. ;) I love the forged metal look. The sentiment is from a new stamp set of Emily Dickinson quotes (I'm a sucker for just about anything literary), and it was heat embossed with copper embossing powder onto a piece of cardstock that I had colored with Inka Gold (my new favorite medium!).

On the inside, I used the same lattice die cut, cutting it in both the blue and orange colors, then pieced it back together with the contrasting colors. The sentiment is a companion stamp from the Dickenson set.

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the weekend!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Paper Issues: Pitch Perfect
The Paper Shelter #155: For the Boys
613 Avenue Create #68: Anything Goes

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Bunny in the Grass

Hello there! Are you all decked out in your Sunday best for church, headed out for an Easter Egg Hunt, or getting ready for a family gathering? Maybe all three??? Or, are you still in your jammies, spending the day on the couch, totally taking it easy? However you celebrate Easter, I hope it is a happy day for you and yours!

I've got a couple of Easter/Spring cards to share, in honor of the day and the season...

Isn't that little bunny the cutest? It's a Serendipity die, and I cut it from white cs, then painted the body with gold metallic paint and colored the flowers with Copic markers and a clear Wink of Stella pen. I actually had to color the flowers twice because I couldn't keep up with all the little petals the first time. To make it easier on the second attempt, I die cut the bunny, but before I removed any of the flowers from the die cut, I covered the back of the bunny with removable tape then pushed all the petals out from the front so that they stayed stuck on the tape. After coloring them, I just laid the painted body of the bunny back over the flowers, pressed them in place, and removed the temporary tape, replacing it with permanent tape so the petals wouldn't fall out. The eye was colored with a pink marker, then I used a black Spica pen to draw in the black pupil and coated it with Glossy Accents. The grass was cut from white cs and colored with Copics, also. The background was fun to make, and SO easy. Alcohol inks, glossy paper, a straw, and a little lung power was all it took. I left this card blank inside so I could use it as an any-occasion card.

This card is very similar to the first one, but I added a little more color on the background, and instead of coloring the flowers on the bunny, I filled them with a Pink and a Green Pearl Pen instead. They remind me of the little candy flowers that are on chocolate bunnies sometimes. This bunny took me a very long time to make because I had trouble getting the Pearl Pen to cooperate. It was a little runny and wanted to flatten out. So, I ended up really gooping (is that a real word???) my Pearl Pen on the petals, then, while they were still wet, I added 5 or 6 layers of the bunny's body over them. That way, the petals didn't run all over the place--no smearing! In real life, there are so many layers now, the bunny looks more like a wooden bunny!

This was my DD's Easter card this year, so I added the Easter sentiment to a white panel, then used the negative die cut from the front of the card as a frame for it.

This alcohol ink technique is so easy, I plan to make several more--probably a card set in the near future!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a Happy Easter!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Viva la Verve April 2014 Week 3 Sketch Challenge

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Animal Antics

613 Avenue Create Challenge #68: Anything Goes

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Confetti Crush

Paper Issues: Pitch Perfect (incorporated a "lawn")

The Paper Shelter Challenge #154: Spring is Here

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Life to the Fullest

I was in a distressing mood when I made the card I'm sharing with you today. :)

I started with the April 2014 Week 2 Viva la Verve sketch, which you know I turned sideways. The sentiment and frame is from a JustRite stamp set. I colored the frame portion with Copics, distressed with Distress Ink, edged with a copper leafing pen, and added a few rhinestones to brighten it up a little. The glossy embellie over the "Live" fishtail banner is also a stamp from that same set. I colored it with Copics, added a rhinestone, then dipped it into my melting pot of hot UTEE. I thought that it might cause the rhinestone to come off, but instead, it just smoothed out all the facets and removed a little of the color. The blue strip behind the sentiment layer is my attempt to create a blue faux leather strip. I'm not sure if it really looks like leather, but I'm good with how it looks here. ;) A few more fishtail banners, a ripped edge, some metal embellies, and stitching, and this card is good to go!

The inside should have been easy, except I refused to waste a piece of this beautiful dp just for a few edges to show, so I pieced together a frame from very small scraps. The white panel barely covers the seams and edges of the scraps. The two sides are long rectangles, and the top and bottom are long skinny triangles. I was able to keep the scraps squared up by putting them inside a rectangle die as a shim.

Thanks for stopping by, and may you live life to the fullest this week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Viva la Verve April 2014 Week 2 Sketch Challenge

613 Avenue Create Challenge #67: Anything Goes

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Alleluia!

I got a new Our Daily Bread stamp on Saturday, and, unlike a lot of stamps that just get stacked on a counter until I'm ready to use them, this one saw action right away! :) It's pretty, all on it's own, but, OMGosh, I can't get over how gorgeous it is with color!

I needed a card for my DD's baptism yesterday, and I hadn't been able to find a stamp that I thought was right for a 9-year old. I "settled" for this cathedral window image, but once I had finished the card, I couldn't believe I almost passed this stamp up! It's gorgeous! I wanted to emboss it onto acetate and color the back so it would look more like stained glass, but for some reason, the acetate couldn't stand up to the heat, so instead I stamped it onto white cs, colored, then fussy cut it, went over all the stained glass lines with a black Spica pen, then added Glossy Accents to all the windows. I topped it with a couple of bows, a sweet mini doily die cut, which I embossed with black embossing powder, and a gold, heat embossed cross image, that I found in Michael's dollar bin a couple of years ago. The Alleluia sentiment is also heat embossed, and the green flourish die cuts are coated in clear glitter. I wanted just a little something in the upper corners, so I transferred the negative pieces of an outline sticker.

To give the personalization panel on the inside the look of crumpled paper, I sponged Dusty Concord Distress Ink around the edges, then tapped the edge of my inked sponge tool randomly across the cs. The Bible verse is stamped in Pear Tart Memento ink, and the page dividers in Dusty Concord. The perforated lines on the outer edges of the dp mat were made with an MFT die. 

The window stamp ended up being perfect for a Baptism, and my DD loves her card! But, don't you think this would be perfect as an Easter card, too! :-)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Happy Easter and/or Sweet Treats

Corrosive Challenge #197: Pretty Pastels

The Paper Shelter Challenge #153: Easter Time

Thanks for stopping by, and have a blessed week!

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Be Happy

Happy Friday! I hope you are looking forward to a great weekend--I sure am! Tomorrow, I'm spending the entire day at Impressive Ideas, our fabulous stamp store here, and Sunday my DD is being baptized! Can't ask for better than that! :~) But, for now, I've got a fun card to share with you.

I used the Mojo Monday Sketch #340 for the layout, and Taylored Expressions stamps and dies for the balloons, clouds, and fishtail banner. The blue balloon was stamped with Danube Blue Memento ink, then I colored the flower doodles with a red Copic marker. The red outlines were made with a red Spica pen. The dark red balloon was paper pieced, then I traced the swirls with a black Spica pen. Finally, the orange balloon was colored with Copics and I covered it with yellow Stickles. You can't see it in the picture, but I used a stylus on the balloons to give them a puffy look, then when I adhered them to the card, I only put glue around the outside edge of the balloons and added a glob of Coll-All 3-D glue in the centers to make sure they stay puffed. HaHa! I made a funny! Stay puffed...Sta-Puft. Get it? I haven't thought about the marshmallow man in years! Back to business here, the tiny clouds were attached to the card with Coll-All glue also. I colored the sun with Copics and added some shine with a clear Wink of Stella pen, and the sentiment is from the same stamp set as the balloons. The seam binding was originally bright red, but I dyed it with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink to get that dark crimson color.

I used a Curved Borders One Spellbinders die to cut pieces from the scraps left over from the front of the card, and used them as an accent border on the inside of the card.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Mojo Monday Card Sketch Challenge #340

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Journey

613 Avenue Create Challenge #66: Anything Goes

Fresh Brewed April Month Long Choose Your Challenge

Paper Issues: Pocket Full of Sunshine

Challenges 4 Everybody #40: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, and have a Happy Week!

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Girly Purse

Hello there! I am so excited to share a super cute Silhouette project with you today! It was fun to make and turned out even better than I expected! See for yourself...

My DD is going to a birthday party this weekend for a friend who is turning 7. For her birthday, the little girl is saving up for a big-ticket item, so her gift this year from us is money. I hate just putting money inside a card, so I dusted off the Silhouette and made this sweet little purse and coin purse gift holder using Samantha Walker Silhouette files. The birthday girl is probably the most girly girl I know, and loves to carry purses, so this is perfect for her. The coin purse is large enough for a gift card, and would have been perfect for a cash gift, too, but when it was finished, it wouldn't fit inside the purse, so I made a smaller one just like it. I'll save this larger coin purse for another birthday party. ;)

Here's a look at the front, back, and bottom of the purse. The detail in the project is amazing! All the brads give it a nice, realistic look. The purse stays closed with a Velcro dot underneath the floral flap, and, did you notice the little "feet" on the bottom of the purse? Sweet! ;)

Here's a look at the inside of the large coin purse. The smaller one, of which I don't have a photo, fits nicely into the circle purse. 

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create Challenge #66: Anything Goes/Optional Twist Sights/Sounds/Smells/Tastes of Spring

The Corrosive Challenge Blog Challenge #196: Show Us Your Metal

Challenges 4 Everybody #40: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

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Friends Fill Your Life With Joy!

Hello there! I was so surprised when I saw that it has been almost a week since I posted anything! I've been broadening my graphic design skills so I could create a new watermark for my photos that matches my new blog look. Even though it's done, I can still see things I may change on it, but for now, I'm ready to get back to making cards!

I just love the super feminine look this card ended up having--nothing like I envisioned when I started making it. I used the Viva la Verve April 2014 Week 1 sketch for the layout, and the Chevron Chic challenge over at Verve was the inspiration for the dp I chose. The diagonal strip behind the sentiment is made of two layered Washi tapes. The sentiment and frame are Just Rite Stamps, which I colored with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils and a gold Spica pen, then fussy cut. I used Glossy Accents over the 3 single corner flowers and leaves. The cluster of flowers in the lower right corner was also colored with Copics and a Spica pen and fussy cut, but instead of Glossy Accents for it, I melted a little UTEE in a melting pot and dipped it in. It reminds me a little of a Cloisonne brooch. The oval behind the sentiment was die cut, then I sponged Peacock Feathers Distress Ink over it, spritzed with water, and edged with a gold Krylon pen. The bottom die cut was sponged with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink then painted with Distress Crackle Paint. For the trim at the bottom, I layered lace, hand-dyed ribbon, and a lacy border die cut. It's topped with a 3-loop satin bow, metallic button, and a coil of gold memory thread.

Inside the card, I took advantage of a scrap from the front of the card, Washi tape layers, and a Happy Birthday sentiment.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Viva la Verve April 2014 Week 1 Sketch Challenge

Verve April 2014 Inspiration Challenge: Chevron Chic

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Happy Birthday

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge--Week #213: Floral Fantasy

The Corrosive Challenge #196: Show Us Your Metal

613 Avenue Create Challenge #66: Anything Goes/Optional Twist Sights/Sounds/Smells/Tastes of Spring

Challenges 4 Everybody #40: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

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Truth is...

Here's that CAS card I mentioned earlier. I won a cute stamp set from CAS-ual Fridays a few weeks ago, and, as their name implies, it's perfect for a CAS card!

I stamped the image with Memento Ink, then colored it with Copics. I used a gold Wink of Stella pen on the stamens, and clear on the petals. After layering up my ovals, and putting pink pearl pen pearls in the scallops, I added 3 white sequins. Deciding where to put those suckers took longer than the rest of the card! ;) The front of the card base is embossed with two different embossing folders, and they meet on a diagonal. Afterward, I thought a nice straight scored line between the two designs would have been nice, but I kind of like that they fade into each other, too.

On the inside, all the stamps are from the same, "Truth Is," stamp set. I was pleased with the green scalloped border, but it's only there because I flubbed my first attempt to stamp the words that are on it. I originally wanted them directly on the card base, but when I was stamping the final word, my hand slipped and it smudged. This cover-up was my fix. ;)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #130 (CFC130): Good Egg (use ovals)

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: The One With Lots of Rules (Anything Goes)

613 Avenue Create Challenge #65: Anything Goes

Art Impressions Challenge #132: Getting Girly

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Watercolor Birthday

Whew! I didn't think I was going to get this last card posted in time for the Viva la Verve challenge this month, but here it is! :)

On the open die cut frame, I sponged Dried Marigold Distress ink on the cs, then swiped a little Picked Raspberry and Broken China ink onto my craft mat and spritzed it with water, then pressed the frame into it, for a watercolor effect. I sponged Worn Lipstick around the inside and outside edges of the frame for a little definition. For the sentiment, I heat embossed it in white, scored a line above and below it, then dry embossed swiss dots above and below the lines. Using Washi tape, I masked off above and below the sentiment, sponged Dried Marigold ink over the sentiment, then sponged Picked Raspberry ink just on the outer edge area. Finally, using a paint brush and water, I watercolored the area to blend the colors. To adhere the frame and the sentiment panel, I used a thick bead of Coll-All 3-D glue behind both pieces. The rest of the card is just dry embossing, sewing, some Stickles and a few sequins sprinkled around.

The inside is a white panel with Dried Marigold ink sponged inside the die and a strip of the dp that I used on the front of the card, distressed lightly on the edges with Worn Lipstick ink. The sentiment is stamped with Rose Bud Memento Ink.

That's all for now, but I'll have a CAS card to post later today. Until then, thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Viva la Verve March 2014 Week 4 Sketch Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: The One With Lots of Rules (Anything Goes)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Happy Birthday

613 Avenue Create Challenge #65: Anything Goes

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It's A Boy!

 Hi there! I'm down to the wire on the Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge this month, and I still have another card to post for it, so I'll be very brief.

This is a new baby card for a boy. I used the colors of the dp to guide me in choosing all the other colors and elements. I colored the word, "boy," with Prismacolor pencils. The cluster of embellies is made up of a flattened bottle cap, some gears, flags, and a "baby" zipper pull. The "dirty" gear was die cut from kraft cs, then heat embossed with silver ep. To achieve the rusted/dirty look on the gear, I inked up just a portion of the silver embossed gear with Versamark, then I sprinkled Distress EP on one edge of the gear.

The inside.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Viva la Verve March 2014 Week 2 Sketch Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: The One With Lots of Rules (Anything Goes)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Happy Birthday

613 Avenue Create Challenge #65: Anything Goes

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Booties

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of your week!

~Hugs,

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