Happy 90th Birthday!

Hi!  I'm back for my second post today.  You'd think, with all the time I spent at my craft table this weekend...that I made a lot of cards, huh?  Nope.  My excuse is, um.  Quality over quantity.

Yes.  That's my story.  Ha :)

I made this card for an Aunt who will soon turn 90 years old.  And she sure doesn't look, or act, like she's almost 90.  In fact, 5 years ago we had a family picnic and my Aunt played bags for the first time.  Oh my.  She was awesome!  She beat nearly everyone there.  What fun :)

I'm playing along in 2 challenges with this special birthday card.

Just Us Girls #156

Color Throwdown #211

My card ~

It's been a while since I created using a bit of shabby chic, so this was a lot of fun.  I used some vintage crochet trim from my estate auction stash.  I used several dies and a bit of machine stitching.  Just a fun card to create.  I hope that my Aunt likes it as much as I do.

Thanks so much for spending a little time at my blog!

Supplies:

Card stock: sahara sand, pumpkin pie, summer starfruit (SU), kraft (PTI)

Patterned paper: 6 x 6 sunshine pad (MME)

Stamps: signature greetings II (PTI)

Other: by the numbers die set, pinking shears border die, doily details die B (PTI), gems (The Paper Studio), thread, vintage crochet trim

Together Forever...our Anniversary

I'm sharing a very special card today.  This one warms my heart...for several reasons.  Tomorrow (Monday) my husband and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.  Oh my.  Thirty-five years!  I love him even more now, than I did on our wedding day.  We've been through a lot together, and it's made us stronger.

Anyway, I just love how this card turned out!  I had an idea a few days ago when I was at work...yea, I wanted to go home right away and stamp!  I wanted to use a frame die over a copy of one of our wedding photos.  This PTI die gives the look of an old Polaroid photo.  This card is the result of that idea.  It worked out just as I'd hoped :)

I'm playing along in 2 challenges with this card.

Unscripted Sketches #178

Just Us Girls #156

My card ~

I used photo paper to cut the frame, then cut another frame out of white cardstock and glued them together.  This gave me a more substantial frame that I could pop up on foam tape.  The stamps that I used for the date, below the photo, are from a set called Calender Stamp set.  It's my first purchase from the Precious Remembrance Shop.  The wording and numbers were just the right size for this project.

In the closeup photos you can see some of the detail from the impression plate I used on the kraft cardstock.

I added some matting, a couple more stamped sentiments and a piece of ribbon (the ribbon is a new one from Stampin' Up!) and my card was complete.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog.  It means a lot to me...and so do your comments.  Truly.

Supplies:

card stock: midnight muse (SU), white, kraft (PTI)

stamps: calender stamp set (Precious Remembrance Shop)

ink: jet black staz-on and onyx black versafine

other: photo paper (Kodak), sunrise impression plate (PTI), fabulous frames die (PTI), midnight muse stitched satin ribbon (SU)

{Follow your heart.} - Freshly Made Sketches #54

Hello!  It seems like forever since I've posted.  Life gets so busy sometimes.  I'm sure you can relate!

I've spent a lot of time at my craft table, just haven't been posting all that I create.  I finished an order today and I want to share the final card.  I used the sketch  from Freshly Made Sketches #54.  Their sketches always give me a great starting point.  Take a look at the sketch...

And here's my take on the sketch.

I apologize for the poor lighting in these two photos.  I took a "group photo" this afternoon of the entire set that my customer ordered.  But completely forgot to take a photo of the card alone...until just now.  After sunset.  Duh.

Anyway, this is a fairly clean and simple card...except that gem flourish, maybe :).  The white card stock is actually a nice bright white in real life.  These photos make it appear a cream color, unfortunately.  The little pom-pom shaped silk flower is from a package I picked up at Michaels.  They're so cute, and just the right size to use on cards (and shoes...see below).

This card didn't take long to make and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.  I'll include a photo at the end of this post...of the card, purse and shoes set that my customer ordered.  Fun stuff!

Thanks for taking a look today.  I hope you'll leave a comment!

Card recipe:

card stock: basic black (SU), white (PTI)

patterned paper: black & white zebra foiled (The Paper Studio)

stamps: positive thoughts (Precious Remembrance Shop)

black fluerettes fabric flowers (Mark Richards), black gem flourish (Recollections)

Red glimmer and bling...

Hi!  Just a very quick post to share a few pics of a shoe/purse/card set that I just completed for one of my customers.  She asked for lots of bling and the color red.  I decided that Stampin' Up's red glimmer paper would be just the thing for this set.  

Well, I'm pleased with the results.  But...had no idea how difficult it would be to get scor-tape to adhere to that pretty glimmer surface!  I had to use a few different adhesives to bond the seams of the shoes and to adhere the rhinestones.  It was certainly a challenge, but I do like how this set turned out.

Thanks for taking a look!  Hope you have a great week :)

Snowflakes sparkle - CAS-ual Fridays Challenge

Hello!  I'm sharing a card that I made for the the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge: CFC70.

Oh yeah.  I can't resist the combo of black & white with one color.  And this fit perfectly with the card I wanted to create.  Prior to making this card, I made 7 other Christmas cards yesterday...but none of them turned out quite the way I wanted.  They just didn't have that "pop" that I was trying for.  Simple, but a little extra...something.  I finally got it right with this 8th try!

This one will be easy to mass produce.  That's something I usually don't do, but for the sake of time...I'll need to this year.

Anyway, on to my card.  After all that chatter.

I love using kraft with black and white.  It just seems so classic.  And it works with the homespun look that I was going for.  In the closeup photo you may be able to see the coarse glitter that I added to the runners on the sleigh and on the horses hooves.  Also, I used my Sakura clear stardust pen on the edges of the stamped snowflakes.  Everything else is straightforward.  I'll list my supplies below.

Thanks so much for taking a look!

Supplies:

card stock: kraft (PTI), basic black (SU)

ink: onyx black (Versafine), frost white (Color Box)

stamps: in the meadow (PTI)

die: in the meadow (PTI)

other: crystal coarse glitter (MS), kraft stitched ribbon (PTI), white baker's twine (SU), paper doily (Hobby Lobby), 2 way glue pen

An Engagement Card - I Spy Sketch Challenge

Hey, back for my second post this evening :)  It will have to be short.  Ummm...why do the weekends go so fast?

I'm playing along in a challenge that's new to me.  I found it just yesterday, in fact.  The sketch really intrigued me, so I had to give it a try.

iSpy Sketches - ISSC32 with Marie-Alice

I knew that I wanted to use various die-cuts, instead of the squares in the sketch.  This is what I created:

First of all, I apologize for the rather dim lighting.  I couldn't seem to find a place where the natural lighting was right.  Too bright, or not bright enough.  Oh well, enough complaining!

I spent so much time on this card.  Choosing colors, dies and stamps.  Way too much time!

I popped some of the die cuts up on foam tape and added baker's twine to a couple of them.  My last embellishment was adding 2 pieces of gray ribbon...using my Tim Holtz tiny attacher.  The card seemed to need those bits of gray to ground it with the gray card base.

Well, that's it for tonight.  Thanks so much for taking a look!

Supplies:

card stock: basic gray, summer starfruit, calypso coral, whisper white (SU)

ink: basic black, calypso coral (SU), onyx black (Versafine)

patterned paper: 6 x 6 Be Happy pad, 6 x 6 pad market street (My Mind's Eye)

dies: postmarks, love lives here, tiny tags (PTI)

stamps: postmarks, love lives here, tiny tags, love & marriage (PTI)

other: mini staples and tiny attacher (Ranger/Tim Holtz), white baker's twine (SU), gray grosgrain ribbon from my stash, foam tape, scor-tape, tombo mono runner

Happy Birthday - 2 Challenges

Hi!  I'm sharing a card I made for 2 challenges.

RetroSketches #28 - such a fun sketch...as usual :)

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #148 - yes, these colors were a bit "challenging"!

My card ~

Well, I'm not sure how masculine this card looks...but it will be going to a guy in my family, who is turning 25 years old.  I figured he wouldn't mind a bit of peach card stock on his card!

Anyway, I used some baker's twine in place of the ribbon in the sketch.  And, I did some scoring at the bottom of the white panel as my accent.  The finishing touch is a vintage button from my stash.

Thanks so much for spending a few minutes at my blog!

Supplies:

card stock: peach glow (Bazzill Basics), basic gray (SU)

ink: onyx black (Versafine)

patterned paper: urban oasis (retired - SU)

stamps: signature greetings II (PTI)

other: white baker's twine (SU), vintage button from my stash, scor-tape, foam tape, scor-buddy, mono tombow runner

Avery Elle Stamps...and a discount code!

Happy Saturday!

A new stamp company, named Avery Elle, started up in June of this year.  All of their products are made in the USA.  I've been following the Avery Elle blog for a short time now.  And I really like what I'm seeing.  I've just been trying to decide which items to purchase...lol.

Well, Jamie...over at Avery Elle, just made that a little easier me  - and you too :)

She's created a coupon code us.  The code MAKEART will get you a 10% discount off any stamp set in stock.  Just don't wait too long though.  The code expires on 9/14/12.

Here's a link to the site:  Avery Elle

Also, here are a few pics from their latest release - to show you a bit of what you'll see on the site.

I hope you're having a great Saturday.  I've been alternating between laundry and paper crafting.  You know which on is more fun.  Even if you're not a stamper, huh?

Thank you for stopping by!

A "fall-ish" happy birthday - 3 challenges

Well, it's the last day of this holiday weekend :(

That means back to work tomorrow...and my crafting will have to wait until next weekend.  But, I'm spending time at my craft table today.

I needed to create a card for a brother-in-law, so these 3 challenges fit together perfectly.

The Paper Players PP111

Unscripted Sketches #174

Stampin' Celebration! #58 - September 2012

Fall is my favorite time of the year.  I love the colors, the crisp air...everything!  So I already knew I wanted to use a fall theme on my BIL's card.  This is what I created...

It's a simple and easy card, but I'm really pleased with it :)  I hope he likes it.  Although, I don't know that cards really matter much to him!  But I always send one anyway...lol !

Thanks so much for taking a look today.

Supplies:

Card stock: early espresso, confetti cream, more mustard, pool party (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: early espresso (SU)

Stamps: birthday whimsy (SU)

DSP: spice cake (SU)

Other: leaves #2 Sizzix die (SU), leaf punch (MS), dimensionals, glue dots