HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

OK.......this isn't a very Irish card because I haven't made one for several years, but it is GREEN.  :)

As many of you know, I sell Penny Black items and I have some of the Penny Black stickers.  This is by far one of my favorite cards I made using one of the designs.

THREE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

I chose to show this card again because it really has three of my favorite things:

Flowers, a butterfly and this gorgeous dp.

A VERY RECENT CARD

CAMEO

This was a Birthday card for my sister which I made with the retired Spellbinders Cameo die.

RELIGIOUS EASTER CARD

As I write this post to be revealed on March 13, a group of 77 from our cluster of five parishes is preparing to make a trip to Rome, Italy.  My husband and I are part of that group.  It is a trip I never dreamed we would be able to make so it is still a little unreal.  By the time this post shows on my blog, we will have hopefully returned safely but I am sure I will be too tired to do any posting right away on our return.  It just seemed appropriate to have this card posted at this time especially with Easter Sunday just a few weeks away. 

The layers and cross die cuts are from Spellbinders and I am so glad I purchased this set.  The tiny gold cross in the center is a sticker.

When I am finally feeling rested, I will post a few pictures of what I assume is going to be a very special time.

A WEEK IN REVIEW

As a part of this week in review, I decided I really needed to post a card that I made using a Lasting Impressions brass stencil.  Using brass stencils was what really got me started making cards and although I have not done dry embossing for a while, I still like the look it gives a card and I need to remember the roots of what got me started.  This card is a case of one that my friend, Joyce, made.

BAPTISM CARD

This card has to be one of my favorites because it is a Baptism card made for one of our grandchildren.

EASTER CHICK #2

ANOTHER EASTER BASKET

SPRING FLOWERS

EASTER BASKET

CHICK WITH TULIP

EASTER CHICK

   

Some of you probably saw this picture appear last Thursday and are now seeing it for a second time.  I had scheduled it for today and if you noticed the date on it last Thursday was March 5.  I deleted that post so that it would appear today like it was supposed to do.  Since I was going to be unavailable for a little over a week, I scheduled some Easter cards that I had made to appear during by absence.

I hope to be back to posting again on March 14 or 15 but in the meantime, you can view ideas for Easter.  I do hope you will continue to leave comments on the cards during this time.  I will publish your comments when I am back on the computer.

Thanks for stopping by!

EASTER BUNNY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NANCY!

One of my friends from our Yahoo Group....namely Nancy.....is celebrating her birthday today.  This is the card I sent her.  I sent it early to make sure I didn't forget and end up sending it late. 

The stamped design is from Penny Black.  It is such a fun design to color.  I was happy that I was able to actually accomplish some shading on the "bouncing balloons".  Copic markers were used for coloring.  The image was mounted onto SU Tempting Turquoise card stock and then onto the card front.

Nancy, I hope you are having a very special day!!!!

ONE OF MY FAVORITES

Since I am going to be unavailable for a few days, I scheduled some cards that I made recently for Easter, but for a few days after those I have decided to go back through my blog and have a "Week in Review" giving a second reveal of cards some of you have probably seen but maybe the first time for anyone who is stopping by for the first time.

This card was made using a stamp set from Flourishes.  If you have any questions, you can certainly email me and I will answer any and all questions when I am back to blogging again.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoy seeing some of the cards that are my favorite.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

   

Recently my friend, Lynette, made a card using a different embossing folder but colored part of the embossed image with markers.  I had tried chalking a design once but not with a lot of luck and I think I had tried using a marker once too without any luck.  When I saw her card though "Hello Friend" I wanted to try it again.  I already had the front of a card embossed with this image so I experimented with it using SU Mellow Moss and YoYo Yellow markers.  It looked OK but I decided to mat it on Mellow Moss cardstock so I cut the embossed portion from the front of the plain white card.  I really like the idea of being able to add a little color to an embossed image.  Thank you, Lynette, for inspiring me to give it another try.

Thank you for stopping by!

LAST FEBRUARY POST

The last few days have been pretty busy.  Sunday we had our 4-year-old granddaughter come stay with us.  She was going to stay two nights but announced Monday afternoon that she wanted to go home.  I guess reading books, doing puzzles and playing with Barbies had run the course of fun.  :)  She has stayed with us for longer periods of time but was taking medicine for a cold and it seemed to be upsetting her system.  We did have fun while she was here.

Yesterday was spent catching up on some orders but today I had time to make this card for my brother's birthday.  I'm not quite satisfied with the brayering I did, but I do like the black design which I stamped on it.  

Thank you for stopping by! 

BUTTERFLIES STAMPED WITH GELATO

I was having fun playing with the Gelatos I had just purchased so I tried it again by applying it right to this Penny Black stamp and then misting it with water.  I had more luck getting a good image when I used the craft pad under the card stock.

I had a scrap of SU Tempting Turquoise card stock that was about the size I wanted so I punched the top edge of it with the Martha Stewart butterfly border.  The image was trimmed and added to the turquoise layer.    Once again I wanted to find just the right embossing folder and liked the way the Crafts-Too "Daisy Flourish" looked with the image.

Interesting note:  I had recently found a good deal on some Darice embossing folders so I ordered 5 of them that were "different" than ones I had.  Well, guess what!  The Darice "Floral Border" is exactly the same as the Crafts-Too "Daisy Flourish"!!!  So now I have two of the same thing.  That isn't bad enough another one I ordered is also a duplicate with a different name.  I had no idea that two companies would make the same folder but call it something different.

If anyone is interested in either of these duplicate folders that I bought, just let me know.  They would be $4.00 each plus a little to send them.  It is difficult to take a picture of embossing folders but the one is called Darice "Floral Border" and the other is called Darice "Star Border".

FABER-CASTELL GELATOS

I saw a Penny Black video recently using Faber Castell Gelatos.  Now I had never even heard of "Gelatos" other than that "Gelato" is a wonderful cold treat in Italy.  :)  These Gelato colors are in a tube much like chapstick and are really fun.  You can apply them to the card stock and then blend them with your finger.....or you can apply them right to the rubber of your stamp and mist them with water to give a watercolor affect.  Have any of you tried them?

First I tried smearing there colors on a smooth surface of regular card stock.  Blending them on that type of card stock didn't work so well so I tried again on glossy paper.  That worked much better.  After blending the colors I added a little more of the lavender shade to give it more color.  OK.....now what do I do with this piece?  I put it aside. 

Next I applied some of the lavender and green colors to a Penny Black rubber stamp and misted it with water.  It took several tries but I finally got a couple of images that I really liked.  Using one of the Spellbinders Labels Eleven I cut and embossed the flower image and then with the next larger die I cut and embossed a piece from the glossy paper. It made a nice layer for the flowers.

For the front of the card I had a hard time deciding on which embossing folder to use so I embossed several card fronts and used the one which had been embossed with the Craft Concepts "Budding Vine" folder.  The ones I didn't use will eventually be used. 

I felt it still needed a further embellishment and as luck would have it I found the perfect color on a card of fibers from Darice.

Thank you for stopping by!  Your comments are always welcome.............I love hearing from you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MIL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Mother-in-Law who is 92 years young today!

Yesterday's card used this same rose stamp and today you can see nearly the entire design which I stamped in the corner of this pink gingham designer paper. I don't think I have ever stamped on designer paper before unless I was doing paper piecing, but this time it really worked out well.  

The bird cage stamp which coordinates with the rose stamp was also purchased in Branson MO and had never been used.  I got the idea for this card from one I saw in their store.  I did change it up a bit for my use.  Copic markers were used to color the designs.  The pink butterfly was from a package which had not been opened that I have had for quite a while and it seemed like the perfect finishing touch to the card.

Thank you for stopping by!  I invite you to leave a comment to let me know what you think.

TWO NEW ITEMS USED

Last summer on a trip to Branson, MO, I purchased the stamp for the lacy oval  as well as the stamp that has the rose design..........after all this time they had sat on my shelf but Monday I was determined to use some items that had been purchased but  never used.

I stamped the lacy doily with VersaMark on SU Pretty in Pink card stock and then embossed it with white embossing powder.  The rose design is actually larger than that and will be on a card tomorrow.  It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored with Copic Markers. Fortunately one of the Spellbinders Classic Ovals was perfect to make the rose design fit inside the lace design.  But I had to cut the lace design out using my craft scissors.  

The rose embossed background was made using a Cuttlebug folder on the front of a card -- and I'm not sure that I ever used it before either so maybe I actually used THREE new items that had been in my collection.  After just laying the lace oval on the front, I decided it looked too plain so I cut the embossed background from the front of the card and cut it down slightly.  Then I ran the edge of the pink Copic marker around the edge to give the illusion of another layer.  

Glitter was added to parts of the stamped roses, but I don't believe that shows up in the picture.

Thank you for stopping by!  Your comments are always welcome...............I love hearing from you!

VERTICAL STAMP

Another card part used!!!  Way more than a year ago, I made up several of these designs stamping a flower and then adding the vertical sentiment stamp over it.  The "Celebrate" stamp is from Paper Inspirations.  I still have a couple more in my card parts basket.  The green piece was a scrap that I didn't even have to cut down but I embossed it using the edge of Crafts Too "Daisy Flourish" folder.  

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you will come back tomorrow and Thursday to see two more of the cards I made yesterday using items I had purchased last July but never used.

SPRING DAFFODILS

After a very busy weekend, I was ready to dig into my craft table and make cards today.  Sometimes I sit at the table and just look at the "stuff" I have and the mess on the table......and totally uninspired.  Well, this morning I was able to make four cards before Noon.  That felt really good.  This is one of those cards and the others will be posted over the next few days.

This stamped image was made and mounted on the colored SU card stock pieces at least a year ago.  I wasn't satisfied with the card I had it on, so I had removed it and it was in my card parts basket.  To continue my goal of using up some of these pieces, I took the easy way out of mounting it on a cream colored card front which had been embossed with the SU tulip border.  The stamp is from Penny Black.   I believe the stamp waas colored with SU markers.

Thank you for stopping by!  Your comments are always welcome............I love hearing from you.

CASE OF MY OWN CARD

Today I used the same layout but used a dp from a Basic Grey "Origins" paper pad for the background, the flowered strip and the butterfly.  If you look closely you can see I punched two butterflies and "fluffed" the wings on the top layer to give the butterfly dimension.  A very simple layout to use but I know I will use it a lot when I'm in a hurry for a card.

Thank you for stopping by! 

BLACK AND WHITE

I do love black and white cards and................butterflies!  I saw a similar black and white card using a sentiment from a Gina K stamp set.  I have a pad of black and white card stock designs and the Gina K Whimsical Wishes stamp set so I decided to use those supplies.

I added three small flat black embellishments in the corner but needed one more thing..........a butterfly!  I hate to admit that this butterfly was in a package that I believe I bought in June of 2010 (maybe even June of 2009) when the ladies from my Yahoo group got together.  I had to have them, but found I was "hoarding" them.  The little clear gems don't show up on the butterfly very well in my picture but they were already a part  of the piece.

Come back tomorrow and see how I cased my own card giving it a different look.

GLITTERED DAISIES

Another card part used!!! On Sunday the glittered Dragonfly design was done on sticky paper.  Today's glittered design was done using Dreamweaver embossing paste on card stock.  The design gets embossed with the paste and then colored glitters are carefully added to the various parts of the design.  I mounted the card part onto SU YoYo Yellow and Garden Green card stock before attaching it to the front of the Dotted Swiss layer on the card front.

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you will take a moment to leave a comment.........I love hearing from you!

VALENTINE - #6

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

VALENTINE - DAY #5

VALENTINE - DAY #4

VALENTINE - DAY #3

This is one of the 8 cards I made for my MIL to send her great grandchildren.  I used various stickers on the white circles.

Over the next few days I am going to very busy so I am going to schedule cards to be posted without any details.  Please know you can always contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you for stopping by!