Let Earth Receive Her King - a card for the Dynamic Duo challenge

Well, I'm back for one more post this evening.  My long holiday weekend is almost over...back to work tomorrow.  So, I'd better make this quick!

I'm playing along in the Dynamic Duos DD#30 Challenge - Midnight Muse & Silver

For anyone reading this post in an email, you can click HERE to read directly from my blog.

Midnight Muse is one of my favorite new SU colors, so I knew I wanted to get in on this challenge.  I'm almost done creating this year's Christmas cards.  So, in order to accomplish that, I wanted to stay with some simple designs and cards that would be easy to mail.  I made several cards today, using this same layout.  Just changing the color combos.  I made two cards using baja breeze and always artichoke. A very pretty combo, too.

I cut a mask from a piece of copy paper, using a spellbinders oval die.  Using that to cover my heat embossed sentiment, I randomly stamped various snowflakes from SU's Serene Snowflakes set in Midnight Muse and Basic Gray.  The sentiment is from SU's The Sounding Joy, by the way.  A few drops of silver liquid pearls added a little extra dimension.  The white was then adhered to a piece of SU brushed silver card stock.  Then I used foam adhesive to attach it all to a base of Midnight Muse card stock.

Thanks so much for stopping in to take a look.  I appreciate it!

A One Layer Christmas Card

Hi, just a quick post to share a one-layer card that I made yesterday.  I wanted to experiment with stamping- off multiple times from one inking.  I'm adding this card to Jackie Rockwell's one-layer holiday card challenge #1.

I cut a "slope" from a piece of scrap card stock to use as a mask for my sledding hill.  Then, I sponged the sky with Bashful Blue ink (SU).  I inked the little sledding stamp with Midnite Muse ink(SU), stamping multiple times without re-inking.  I'm pleased with the results!  I added stamped some stars and a sentiment (PTI) and I was done.  I'm now thinking that I should have placed the sentiment a little higher, it seems a little lost...hmmm.  Too late now, huh?

Thanks for taking a look!

Fabulous! A birthday card for CAS(E) this sketch!

As promised, I'm back with my 3rd post for today.  I think this beautiful, sunny and warm weather gave me some stamping energy!  Why don't I get that energy when it's time to do the house cleaning???

Enough about me.

I'm sharing a card that I made for the challenge at CAS(E) this sketch! - cts#6 by Lisa Arana

I made a list recently of some color ideas that I want to use...and this is one of them.  Sahara Sand and White.  I love the bright, clean look of this color combo.  And, I thought this sketch was just what I needed to bring it all together.

This is what I came up with.

I had also been wanting to use this SU chevron embossing folder that I got (earned, actually) recently.  Yeah, I'm liking this texture combined with these colors.  A lot.

I embossed the flowers with some Champagne embossing powder from Michaels.  I wanted a color that was close to the Sahara Sand card stock, but gold was too bright.  This worked much better.  Oh, I added a few drops of platinum Perfect Pearls to the centers of the flowers.  Such a soft look.

Well, I'd better finish this post and get back to the holiday movies that I mentioned in my previous post!

Thanks for spending a few minutes at my blog.  I truly appreciate my visitors and I love reading all comments!

Supplies:
Card stock: white (PTI), sahara sand (SU)
Ink: basic black (SU), Versamark
Stamps: flower fields (Stampendous), signature greetings (PTI)
Other: chevron embossing folder (SU by Sizzix), champagne EP (Recollections), platinum perfect pearls (Ranger), 3M foam tape

You Rock! Retro Sketches #38

Hey, I'm back with the second of 3 (count 'em...3) posts for today.  This has been a nice relaxing Sunday.  My husband and I have been watching Christmas movies (I know...already!) on the Hallmark channel, while I stamp.  So nice :o)

So, I'm sharing a card that I made for the Retro Sketchs #38 challenge.

In October I attended a Stampin' Up! party.  One of the new products that our (favorite) demonstrator, Kris, showed us was the Core'dinations card stock and the sanding blocks.  Well I brought home the panel I embossed, and sanded and I've been looking for the right card to use it.  I needed to make a masculine card today, and this panel was just what it needed!

This card came together quickly, and it's pretty straightforward.  A couple of layers, some foam tape, 3 brads and a sentiment.  That just about covers it.  I'll list my supplies below.

Thanks for taking a look today!

Supplies:

Card stock: island indigo, very vanilla, early espresso

Ink: early espresso (Stampin' Up!)

Designer Series Paper: festival of prints stack (SU)

Stamps: grunge me  (Papertrey Ink)

Other: double ended banner die (PTI), Christmas mint brads (s.e.i.), foam dots

A Christmas card to share.

Hello...happy Sunday!

I'm sharing another Christmas card that I made for my stash.  I saw a printed invitation on Pinterest that gave me the idea for this card.  Click HERE for the link.  I saw that invitation a week ago, and I just had to use the idea for a Christmas card.  It turned out even better than I imagined.  I think the patterned paper I used is what really makes this card...well, along with the banners :o)   And, I love these colors together.

Stampin' Up! Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla card stock.  Yummy holiday colors.

After stitching the banners onto the focal panel, I tied the ends of the thread in little bows.  You may not be able to see it in my photos, but I ran a Stardust glitter pen along the top of each banner and through the border of the sentiment.

That designer series paper that I used to mat the panel, is from my new favorite paper stack...Festival of Prints (SU).  These papers are so versatile because they can be used for most any card...not just Christmas cards.

Well, that's it.  Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

A Christmas card...just because.

If you receive my posts through email, click HERE to read directly from my blog!

Hi.  A very quick post this morning to share a Christmas card.  No challenges this time.  I hosted a Stampin' Up! party recently.  I had an idea for using a few of my new goodies and I just couldn't wait to create this card!  Everything except the stamped lines and the 3 clear gems, are SU products.

Once I figured out what colors to use, this card came together quickly.  But I'm not telling you how long the decision process took!

I just love that diagonal striped dsp that I used behind the main panel.  It reminds me of candy canes :)

I punched all of the ornaments with my new Merry Minis Punch Pack, using the new Festival of Prints dsp paper stack (thanks Kris!).  I placed them just under the stamped lines (WPlus9's Heartfelt Mix stamp set), then drew in a tiny bow above each with a Cherry Cobbler marker.  I added clear gems to 3 of the ornaments, then stamped the sentiment.  The vanilla panel is adhered to the dsp with dimensional adhesive.  It's all attached to a card base of Lucky Limeade (SU).  The sentiment is from SU's Greetings of the Season stamp set.

Thanks for looking!

Greetings of the Season - 2 Challenges

Hi!  Yesterday was such a beautiful day, it was difficult to stay at my craft table very long.  I did mange to fit it all in though.  It was great to get some fresh air while my husband and I worked in the yard.  Hey, the high was around 65 degrees...and it was sunny.  That's unusual for northern Illinois in mid November;  so we had to take advantage of it.

Anyway...I'm sharing a card that I made for 2 challenges.

Just Us Girls #162 - Make a ribbon wreath.  I hesitated at first when I saw this challenge. I've never tried making a ribbon wreath before.  But, it's a challenge!  The JUGS site provided a link to the wreath tutorial, so why not give it a try?

Dynamic Duos - DD#28 color challenge.  I already planned to use Cherry Cobbler ribbon for my wreath, so this color challenge was perfect for the card I wanted to create.

This is how I combined the two challenges ~

I wanted to create the look of a wreath hanging on a wall.  So I used my simple stripes impression plate for the focal panel.  That always reminds me of wainscoting.  Love that vintage feel!  The sentiment is from a brand new Stampin' Up! stamp set called Greetings of the Season.  I love the combination of fonts in this sentiment.

Thanks so much for taking a look today!

Supplies:

Card stock: sahara sand, basic black (SU)

Ink: onyx black (Versafine)

Stamps: greetings of the season (SU)

Other: simple stripes die (PTI), cherry cobbler quilted satin ribbon (SU), Christmas mint brad (S.E.I)

With Sympathy - CAS-ual Fridays & Simon Says Challenges

Hi!  I'm sharing a card that I made for 2 challenges. The CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - CFC78.  We're to create a clean and simple project with something torn on it.

And the Simon Says Stamp Challenge.  Simon Says...thinking of you or sympathy.

For anyone reading my post from an email, click HERE to read directly from my blog.

 

Well.  I hope my card qualifies for the So Torn challenge.  I created a mask using pieces of torn card stock.  Take a look and let me know what you think ;-}

One of my favorite techniques is masking and sponging.  The best part is when I peel away the mask and see the results.  So fun :)   This card is very simple.  But, I think, elegant.  Especially for a sympathy card.  I've depleted my stash of sympathy cards and needed to restock.

Anyway, for anyone that's interested, I've included a very short tutorial below.

1) Create a mask by tearing 4 strips of card stock and taping them together with scotch tape.

2) Adhere the mask to your card base using washi tape, or something similar, that won't lift the fibers of the card stock when removed.  It's also a good idea to adhere your base to your work surface to prevent it from moving while you're sponging.  By the way, those arrows are printed on my washi tape...maybe I should have used a different pattered tape.  Lol!

3) Use a piece of craft sponge to apply your inks.  I used a circular motion, starting on the mask and working inward.  I began with the lightest ink at the bottom of the masked area.  Then, worked upward with progressively darker shades.

4) Peel away the mask.  Voila!

5) Stamp your images and sentiment.  Done.

Thanks so much for taking a look today!  I hope you'll leave a comment...I love reading them all :)

Supplies:

Card stock: whisper white (Stampin' Up!) Just a note: I've found this to be the best card stock for sponging, because it has such a smooth surface.

Ink: barely banana, so saffron, apricot appeal, marigold morning (SU)

Stamps: autumn days (one of my favorite SU sets!), hope for comfort (SU)

Other: craft sponges, washi tape

Happy Birthday - 3 Challenges

Hey, I'm back to share a birthday card I made for 3 challenges.

If you get my posts through email, just click HERE to read directly from my blog.

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #156

CAS-ual Fridays CFC77 - create a Clean & Simple masculine project

retro sketches - rs#36

My card ~

Isn't this patterned paper from Echo Park just perfect for a masculine card?  Great colors for this time of year, too.  I used a couple of dies on this card, then a SU punch for the sentiment panel.  A very simple but fun card.

Thanks so much for taking a look :)

Supplies:

Card stock: early espresso, more mustard, confetti cream (SU)

Ink: early espresso (SU)

Stamps: communique curves (PTI)

Patterned paper: this & that charming 6 x 6 pad (Echo Park)

Dies: bookmark die (PTI), bracket die (MFT)

Other: linen thread and label punch (SU)