Monday, September 30, 2013

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, SHERI & BILL

Outside of card

Inside
 
My friend, Sheri, and her husband are celebrating their anniversary today.  This is the card I sent to them.
 
A few days ago I posted cards using this same SU Blushing Bride dp and card stock.  The directions for making a gatefold card were posted  on my September 2 blog.
 
Thank you for stopping by!

Friday, September 27, 2013

SIX SIDED SAMPLER

 
One more card using the Honeycomb design. The embossed layer was cut down slightly and then mounted onto the white card stock using foam dots.  For this card I chose to use the stamp set.  The inks I used were Not Quite Navy and Marina Mist.  When this set was first introduced I saw a really easy way to edge the "Happy Birthday"......insert the little "tag" into the edge of the Hexagon punch! 
 
Thank you for taking time to stop by today.  Your comments are always welcome and very much appreciated!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

BLACK AND WHITE HONEYCOMB


It seems like I am seeing the hexagon/honeycomb shape everywhere.......even in one advertisement I have seen on TV!  This is another of the great SU bundles that "jumped" into my order.  This bundle consists of the punch and stamp set.  The "Honeycomb" embossing folder is sold separately.
 
The card base is Black SU card stock.  I embossed a white piece of card stock  which measured 4" x 5 1/4".  For this card, I did not use the coordinating stamp set but punched out designs from a black and white paper pad that I have had for a long time and then arranged onto the white layer.   To finish the card I added the layered "Happy Birthday".
 
Because I used black card stock for the base, I attached a second 4" x 5 1/4" white layer on the inside to either stamp a sentiment or write my own message.
 
Thank you for stopping by!  Your comments are always welcome and very much appreciated!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

PENNY BLACK DIE - Iris

 
One of the new Penny Black dies is the "Iris" and there is also a stamp with the same design.  They are close to being the same but not quite.  Before I stamped the Iris onto a piece of white card stock, I stamped it off once so it would be more of a shadow to the die cut piece. 
 
I then decided to tear the white piece and sponge the edge with Wild Wasabi ink and also very lightly around the stamped flower.  The die cut was colored by sponging the color onto the bloom and stem.   Like yesterday's cards, I used the Tombow glue very carefully with tiny dots to adhere it to the stamped layer.
 
I chose Wisteria Wonder card stock for the card base and used the SU embossing folder for the right hand edge.  I think this will be a design I will do again using other colors.
 
Thank you for stopping by!  Your comments are always welcome and appreciated.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

PENNY BLACK DIE - Bashful

 
Penny Black also has a stamp with the same design which is called "Blush".  Unfortunately the die is not the same size.  However, the stamp was one of my very first and still one of my favorite stamps that I have in my collection.......so naturally I wanted and had to have the die.
 
The die is actually just a single flower but I cut a second one and trimmed it so it could be added to the stem of the first one.  The card is quite plain but I think I'll find a use for it.


This is the second card I made with the same die.  Using an off white piece of card stock, I stamped the same design with VersaMark and embossed it with clear powder.  I then used a Spellbinders die to cut the shape.  This piece was then matted with Blushing Bride card stock.
 
The die cut of the flower was colored with Copic markers and carefully added to the matted design using very tiny dots of Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue.  The card base was embossed with the Cuttlebug folder with random dots.
 
Tomorrow I will be posting a card with another of Penny Black's new dies.  Thank you for stopping by!  Your comments are always welcome and appreciated!

Monday, September 23, 2013

BUTTERFLIES IN FLIGHT

 
One of the new SU bundles is the Mosaic Madness.  The bundle is made up of the punch and stamp set.  The embossing folder is sold separately. 
 
I saw something similar on Pinterest and still had a small scrap of the flowered dp from previous cards.  The SU Pacific Point and Baja Breeze colors go nicely with the colors in the dp so I made two-layered butterflies and attached them where the punches joined.  Instead of adding pearls to the center of the butterflies I decided to run the top punch through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder.
 
Butterflies were made with the SU butterfly punch and a Martha Stwart punch.  A very simple card but I like the way it turned out.
 
Thank you for stopping by!

Friday, September 20, 2013

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD FOR 2013


Recently a friend of my mother ordered some cards from me.  Once she received them she gave me a list of cards she would like me to make for her family members.  Three on the list were for Christmas.  I was eager to use the "Nativity" die I had purchased from Taylored Expressions. 

Mother's friend is a religious lady so I assumed this would be a design she might like.  It certainly makes a quick CAS card.  The "Christmas Blessings" from Hero Arts was stamped with VersaMark and then heat embossed with white powder.
 
I think the die cut will be beautiful on various colors of cards stock.  I may even cut it in gold paper and use gold embossing powder on the stamped design.
 
While I was at it, I made several like this so now I have a start on the many Christmas cards I need to make.  Thank you for taking the time to stop by!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

SU MOSAIC MADNESS

 
I love that Stampin' Up has started offering "bundles".  It provides the chance to buy two coordinating items at a savings instead of buying them separately maybe at different times.  This card uses the Mosaic Madness embossing folder, stamp set and punch.  The stamp set and punch were the two items in the bundle.
 
Shades of blue are my favorite colors and I love the SU Baja Breeze and Marina Mist colors.  (Sorry I'm not sure which one I used on this card.)
 
The first step for this card was embossing the card base with the Mosaic embossing folder.  I then used one of the stamps to stamp inside the embossed design.  Using some of the dp in the matching color, I punched pieces using different designs to form a "flower".  I was so happy to see that I actually had a button just the right color in my "stash".
 
I am always happy to read any comments that are left on my posts.  Thank you for stopping by!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

2 MORE using HERO ARTS "Gratutude Design"

Hero Arts D5821 "Gratitude Design"
 
When I received the Hero Arts catalog I saw a similar card in their samples of the new stamps.  I tried to duplicate the idea with similar colors.  Three SU colors were used and more variation was obtained by stamping the design more than once without reinking.


I thought the first one was just a little too plain so I did a variation on it.  I masked off the bottom portion of the off white layer leaving room for the sentiment.  After stamping the various colors, I then cut the layer so it could be mounted onto a Cajun Craze card base. 
 
No more "Gratitude Design"........at least for now.  Tomorrow I will be moving on to a new design.  Thank you for stopping by!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

HERO ARTS "Gratitude Design"


Today the temperature is only going to be in the mid 60's so I am feeling like Fall colors.  I don't send a lot of Thanksgiving cards, but I decided to use this sentiment because of the name of the stamp I used. 
 
The card stock and ink are SU Cajun Craze.  I stamped the design around the entire front of the card.  It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to get the card filled by turning the stamp in various directions.  By using the wide banner I was able to cover one area where there was a small blank spot.  Before attaching the banner and sentiment pieces to the cards base, I used the ink pad to carefully edge the off white card stock.
 
Confession time..............this is another idea I got from Pinterest.  Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, September 16, 2013

THINKING OF YOU


I had been using the patterned dp and the Pacific Point card stock recently and had the table.  When I was visiting Pinterest recently I had seen a similar card so I pulled out my Chevron dies from My Favorite Things to start this card.
 
The flowers and leaves were stamped with the SU Secret Garden set and cut with the matching dies.  The sentiment is a current stamp from Hero Arts.
 
Thank you so much for stopping by!

Friday, September 13, 2013

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HARRIET & BRUCE

 
I made this card for my friend Harriet and her husband for their Anniversary.  The butterfly was made using a butterfly set from Spellbinders Grand Shapeabilities "Wonderful Wings".  The striped paper is a piece of SU striped Blushing Bride dp and the base of the butterfly is made with a piece of Blushing Bride card stock.  The beautiful die cut is one which I made with a friend's Memory Box die.

I hope Harriet and Bruce are having a very special day together and wishing them many, many more years of happiness!!!!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

INSPIRED BY A FRIEND'S CARD

 
I just had to post a birthday card today because our youngest daughter is celebrating her birthday today.  I'm quite sure she doesn't follow my blog, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMIE!!!
 
One of my local friends sent a birthday card to my mother, and when I saw it I just loved it.  Her card was made using a very pretty blue dp which had white daisies in the pattern.  The strip of dp she used for her sentiment was yellow but she used these same daisies.............so I wanted to make my own version of Joanne's card.
 
Changing the  format for the card to a vertical card, I used the same idea with the same papers.

Summer is coming to an end but these cards will be great any time of the year to brighten someone's day.

Thank you for stopping by!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

CONE FLOWER DIE CUT


One of our Yahoo Group members sent a package of stamp offs and die cuts to all of us who met this summer.  This cute little cone flower had been cut with white card stock.  I would probably have used it that way but another of our group members (Lynette) colored hers and I really liked the look. 
 
I used SU Blushing Bride solid and card stock and stiped dp as well as the white for the card.  The white strip was embosssed with a Cuttlebug folder with random dots.  Blushing Bride, Close to Cocoa and Wild Wasabi markers were used to color the flowers.  The upper right hand portion of the card seemed to need something so I stamped a little design with VersaMark.
 
Thank you for stopping by!

WE WILL REMEMBER

Today we need to take a moment to stop and remember those who died on 9/11/01.  People were going about their normal routines on a beautiful sunny day - never realizing what was about to happen. 

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This card has been posted before but I wanted to show it here again.  The stamp is from Stampabilities.  A friend of mine had made a card with this stamp and the date has a special meaning for me.  This tragedy forever changed the way I celebrate my birthday.  She offered to let me have the stamp.  The sentiment on the stamp reads, "Adversity revealed our strength.  September 11, 2001".

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

SPELLBINDERS D-LITES

 
Today's cards were made using the Spellbinders D-Lites "Whimsical Tree" die.  I cut the design out of white card stock and added Tombow Liquid Glue to parts of the design and attached it to the green dp and then layered onto the gingham checked dp both of which were from a retired Making Memories paper pack called "Emma".  (We have a granddaughter Emma so I had to have those papers.)  The card base was embossed with the Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots" folder. 
 

I like this one better with more green.  The green dp was too thin to use as a card base so I cut a piece to fit the front of a white card base.
 
This post was scheduled to show today.  Our school board election is being held today and I am the chairman of our local precinct.  It's a job that I enjoy and this time we are using a new computer system which should be fun.  I'm just happy that it wasn't introduced to us with a National election.  We live in a country where voting is a right and a privilege.

Thank you for stopping by!

Monday, September 9, 2013

MEMORY BOX/SIMON SAYS STAMP!

 


This card was made using the Memory Box die from Simon Says.  The die is called "All Seasons Tree".  I love how simple it is to make a card with this design. 

I cut the design with black card stock and attached it to the white layer and then again to a red layer.  This was added to the black card base.  I always add a piece of white card stock inside the card to add the sentiment or to write a note.
 
The little "happy birthday" is from a retired Hero Arts set of 3.
 
Thank you for stopping by!

Friday, September 6, 2013

DIRECT TO PAPER TECHNIQUE

 
I have used the direct to paper before but this time the idea was to use just the edge of the pad and to quickly "swipe" it randomly across the front of the card.  I accidentally ran across this method on Pinterest.   I chose three of the new SU colors:  Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantelope and Coastal Cabana.  As the video I saw mentioned.....you won't get two cards that turn out exactly alike.
 
The wispy look is just perfect for using a butterfly and if you visit here a lot you know I love using butterflies. 
 
The card I saw on Pinterest was arranged much like the one below but she had trimmed the "hello" with a pleated ribbon and had used a different butterfly.  Lisa had layered her design as you can see on her video here:  Pinterest


That's all for this week.  I hope you'll come back Monday to see what I have for you then. 

Thursday, September 5, 2013

GATE FOLD CARDS - Day 4


The flowers on this card were made using a stamp from Rubbernecker.  I colored the flowers with markers, spritzed with water and then stamped on white card stock.  The dp is from Stampin Up.  (For directions for the gate fold, refer to my post of September 2)
 
Tomorrow I  have a card scheduled using a technique I have never done before but was very easy and gives a neat look to the card.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

GATE FOLD CARDS - Day 3

 
Before I go any further, one of the visitors to my blog was so kind as to tell me where I must have seen the video showing how to make one like this.  This is a link to the blog:  Double Fold Gate Card- DOstamping with Dawn.  (Thank you Dixie for letting me know where to find it!)  I'm not sure how I happened to just recently run across the video because the video was posted May 17, 2012.
 
For this one, I ran the stripes the other direction and reversed the placement of the patterns.  Although the design on the front of the card is large like yesterday's I was careful to add the foam dots so that the card would open completely. 
 
Once again the design on the front of the card is from Taylored Expressions "Embrace Beauty" stamp set.


I will have one last gate fold card tomorrow and then Friday a completely different style so be sure to come back.  (For directions for the gate fold, refer to my post of September 2)

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

GATE FOLD CARDS - Day 2


 
For a more masculine card, I chose this dp because of the colors.  However when I attached the design on the front, I mistakenly attached one of the foam dots a little too high which prevents the card from opening up entirely like the one yesterday.

 
The Happy Birthday sentiment on the front of the card is from Ann-ticipations.  Inside the circle I stamped a design from Taylored Expressions "Embrace Beauty".  (For directions for the gate fold, refer to yesterday's post)
 
Thank you for coming by!  I hope you'll be back tomorrow.

Monday, September 2, 2013

GATE FOLD CARDS - Day 1

 
Recently I saw a gatefold card on a blog and thought how it is really neat how you can get a lot of different looks using different papers and designs.  The card I saw was not just the standard gatefold and there was a tutorial for it but I am so sorry I am unable to find it at this time.  I will post it later if I can locate it.
 
In the meantime I will try to explain it the best I can.  The card is made using a double sided dp which measures 5 1/2" x 12".  Score the card stock at 2", 4", 8" and 10".  Along the 5 1/2" sides, place a light pencil mark (which can be erased later) at 2 3/4" on each end.  Using a trimmer:  On the left hand side of the card cut from the 4" scoring line to the 2 3/4" pencil mark but save the triangle.  Do the same cutting from the 8" score line to the 2 3/4" mark on the right side.  The triangles will be used on the opposite sides at the bottom of the card.  The piece on the front is attached with foam dots and only on the left hand side of the card when it is "closed" .
 
The picture below shows how the card will look opened up.

 
Here in the United States, today is a National Holiday.......Labor Day!  I hope all who are celebrating will be enjoying their time and travel safely! 

Tomorrow through Thursday I will be showing you more samples of this type of gatefold.  I hope you will give it a try.  It's a fun way to surprise someone with a non-traditional card.  If you have any questions, be sure to let me know.
 
Thank you for stopping by!!!

One of the cards made on  this  vi.deo used this stamp from the Flowing Flowers set.  This isn't a two-step design and I wasn't sure...