Monthly Archives: August 2011

Blue Cameo

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I created this card to mail to a friend who likes blue: (Lydia @ UnderstandBlue).

To create the cameo, I used lots of white embossing powder; I did about 3 layers, restamping with craft ink for each layer – I LOVE clear stamps!!. Once that was done, I used my embossing buddy again and this time stamped the frame and gold embossed.

For the rest of the card, knowing I wanted lots of blue, I used some old SU DSP for the background. To break up the blue a bit I added a layer of pink (light so it wasn’t overpowering).

I used WM Sketch #61 for the layout.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Birthday Wishes
Stamps: Cameo Maker, Labels 4, Fancy Phrases Scallops & Dots (WMS);
Colors: Brocade Blue, Pink Pirouette, Gold (SU);
Other: Gold & White embossing powders; Dainty Lace border die (MFT); Labels 4 die & Oval dies (Spellbinders);

New Driver

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A couple months ago we had another family member receive her driver’s license – the day before she and her family moved. So I waited to (create and) mail this card until they were “settled”. (The quotes are due to the fact that they are still in temporary housing and as they will be for a couple more months, I decided not wait any longer.)

Other than the car stamp, I had no idea what I would do. So, I did what I normally do and started flipping through my sketch book (which is not a book of sketches that I’ve made, rather, sketches from others that I’ve collected – if I could make my own sketches, I wouldn’t need to collect everyone else’s, lol). Anywho – I decided that a recent Fall-to-Layout (ftl153) would work great.

The green strip and clouds are both embossed with the canvas impression plate (I was going to say the pieces were impressed with the impression plate, but that just raised weird images of cardstock engaging in intelligent conversation).

Before stamping the pink solid image of the car, I kissed it with a tight polka dot background image. Oh – and see the license plate – the tiny sentiments from the original Mixed Messages fits so well (which, if PTI had included a “celebrate” in the car set I wouldn’t have had to know!).

Well, that was quite wordy for me, so I’ll beg off now. Thanks for stopping by!

You Did It
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Enjoy the Ride, Mixed Messages, Polka Dots Basics 2;
Colors: Spring Rain, Lemon Tart, Simply Chartreuse, Hibiscus Burst, White, Black;
Other: Canvas impression plate, car die; Stickles (on the headlights);

Index Cards

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These cards are all ones that started their lives as index cards for the SCS gallery. It was fun to try to create an index card that I could “finish” as a real card.

The first card is actually the index card. I thought it could stand on its own fairly well. Since the image is the sentiment I didn’t need to add anything else. I kept the theme of stars and stripes when picking the pattern paper and ribbon.

The machine stitching was originally just on the layers, but it got lost in the patterns, so I extended it to the full horizontal. I probably will eventually add a couple vertical stitch lines on the edges, but the back is so horribly done with all the starts and stops I’m not even sure the needle would make it through, lol.



 
This next card is what I had in mind when I created the index. For the index, I could only use the ball and the “Home Run” sentiment since that is all that is part of the stamp set.

After taking the photo for the index, I went back and added the rest of the sentiment. Of course I had to do it word by word so I could squeeze it all in, and so it isn’t as straight as I would have liked.

The ball is hand-cut to have that “crack” graphic (comic-book) look.



 
This final one is another a la carte image, so the index card is sans the greeting, but also without the leaf die cut – mostly because I didn’t want to obscure the image.

The bird image is watercolored. The background is embossed with the Elegant Bouquet folder from SU. The ribbon, I’m not sure about the ribbon, but I think it is an old retired SU color – Cranberry (one of the first InColors).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Freestyle Coloring

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I created this card for the PTI Make-it-Monday Freestyle Coloring challenge (MIM29).

After perusing my index, I decide the bingo card would be a great image to freestyle color. That was the easy part. I then spent a couple hours figuring out the rest of the card.

My sewing machine is a bit messed up. The problem is that the last time I wound the bobbin it was an utter mess and I was too lazy to unwind it and do it again. I’m sure I could compensate with changing the tension, but that requires digging out my manual – and I’m lazy, remember? lol Anyway, we’ll just go with the idea that I like the result because the messy “outside the lines” thing is sorta the idea of the challenge. Yeah, that’s what I’m going with.

Thanks for stopping by!

You Made My Day
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: It’s Official, Simple Little Things, Background Basics: Text;
Colors: White, Chartreuse, Berry Sorbet;
Other: It’s Official DSP, Star dies, buttons; machine stitching; Copic marker;

Moxie Girl

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I created this card for the Moxie Fab Tuesday Challenge (Girly & Gutsy).

Right away I knew I wanted to use this chandelier image. I embossed it with silver and then colored it in with Copics. The candle flames are the splash of yellow from the trigger piece. The crystal baubles in the chandelier image are filled in with stickles. Then I added a few rhinestones as well.

To keep the elegant feel, I added a satin bow to the chandelier and stamped the card’s background with a damask pattern. Finally, I used a fancy tag for the sentiment (and a couple more rhinestones).

Thanks for taking a peek!

Birthday Wishes
Stamps: Chandelier (Artistamps); Fancy Phrases (WMS); Damask (PTI);
Colors: Black, White, Hibiscus (PTI);
Other: Black Satin ribbon (PTI); Rhinestones (Kaiser); Fancy Tag (Spellbinders); Stickles; Copics;

Back to School Gifties

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Today was the first day of school. But a few days ago was “Meet the Teacher” day. I made these gifties for the girls’ new teachers.

I started with a cleaned-up hot chocolate can, covered it with paper and embellished it. I added some decorated pens & pencils. Since I sharpened the pencils (for immediate use), I wanted to protect the points in the can. Thankfully the interior circle of the can was a perfect fit for a Spellbinder die – so a quick die cut of craft foam and the inside is soft.

In addition to pens & pencils, I added a skinny note pad and a card. The card is a wacky size so it would fit in the can.

The final bit in the can is a questionnaire where I ask the teacher stuff like ‘what is your favorite color’, and ‘do you like apples’. I’ll use the information when making other gifts throughout the year. If you are interested, you can download the questionnaire (PDF).

As for supplies, the stamps are all PTI (except the frame on the card – that is MFT). The DSP is all retired SU stuff. If you want to know something specific, don’t hesitate to ask.

Thanks for stopping by!

First Day of School

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Today is the first day of school. My girls are very nervous this year (not sure why) and so I wanted to make today a little more special. I wrote positive notes inside the cards – trying to encourage them.

I created this card late last night (I’m an expert procrastinator). I chose Teal because that is a school color. I don’t really have any “school” stamps, so I got out Wise Owls and added the graduation cap to convey the school theme. I added the Diamond impression to the card base because, to me, it mimics the owl’s belly.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Hoot of a Day
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Wise Owl, For the Graduate, Its Official;
Colors: Hawaiian Shores, Black, White;
Other: Diamond impression plate; Copics;

Glittered Home

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I did another glittered die border card (PTI mim28). This one uses the house die from Love Lives Here. I used pattern paper to make a quilt and stitched the pieces together with my sewing machine.

I’m really happy with how this turned out – I normally don’t do well with using lots of colors.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Happy for You
Stamps: Mat Stack 1, Simple Little Things (PTI);
Colors: NQN, Wasabi, Bride (SU); White (PTI); Black (Brilliance);
Other: Love Lives Here house die, Mat Stack 1 die (PTI); Two Scoops DSP (BG); Vellum (PTI); dimensionals, glue, glitter (SU); sewing machine;

Glitter Dove

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This week’s Make-it-Monday challenge from PTI is all about glittering around a die (mim28).

I started by sorting through my dies to find some there were “single” dies so this technique would work. I actually found a few dies and hope to get another card done later tonight.

To make the card, I started with the circle die. Next I positioned the dove die on the circle and cut it out. I held the die in place and glue/glittered around it. My glue is a fast drying glue, so I did it in small parts – gluing and glittering little by little. I stamped one of the flourishes from Half & Half on the coordinating die-cut with a glue pad and added glitter to it as well. A bit of musical impression on the background and Lots of dimensionals and the card is done.

Here is a detail shot so you can see the glittered dove better. Just click the image to enlarge it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Peace Be Still
All supplies Papertrey Ink unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Peace Be Still;
Colors: White cs, Enchanted Evening ink, Spring Rain Bitty Dot DSP;
Other: Peace Be Still die, Half & Half die, 2.5″ Limitless Layers die, Music impression plate; Glue Pad (Palette); glitter (SU);

Thanks

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I made this card for the man who took care of our cats while we were on vacation a few weeks ago.

To start with I stamped the chair on the DSP and cut it out. Then I stamped and cut-out the pillows. To make the left-side of the chair look/feel like it was indeed in front of the pillows, I paper pieced that again as well. Doing so also broke up the line of polka-dots.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Thank You
Stamps: Here Kitty Kitty (StarvingArtistamps); Inside-Out: Thank You (PTI); Woodgrain (SU);
Colors: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Vanilla (SU);
Other: Apple Cider DSP (SU); Copics;
Technique: Paper Piecing;