Honorable Mention Card Winners

Hello, Friends!

I just wanted to let you know I'm still here.  I don't have a card for you, but I do have some honors that I have wanted to share.

You may remember this goofy card I made.  The original post about the card is located here.  It won the Honorable Mention award at two different challenges!  First, it won this Honorable Mention award at Freshly Made Sketches for the 169th sketch.  You can see the post here.   

 



Kim, who chose the card said, "I laughed out loud at Angela's charming Christmas characters peering in the circle."  Wasn't that nice?!  I'm glad it made someone smile!

This card also won the Honorable Mention award at the Merry Monday Christmas Challenge for the Critters Challenge.  You can see my card and the other winners on their blog, here.
  

This card is located on my blog here.  It also won an Honorable Mention award at ABC Christmas Challenge for the letter "A is for Anything Christmas."  Their blog post awarding my card and other great cards is posted here.   Their blog badges still say 2014 and my card won a 2015 challenge, so I'll wait until they add the new ones to put it on my blog.  (This card is one of my favorites.  I wonder if you can figure out why!?) 

Last of all, this Milk and Cookie One Layer Card was chosen at Virginia's View Challenge #11 Clean Slate as a Top Ten Honorable Mention Card.  My card was entered at number 266 and is listed under my name in this post on Virginia's blog.

Although I have posted all of these honors at once, they are truly all honors.  Each time I opened an email and saw that one of my cards had been chosen, I couldn't believe it.  To be included with so many talented card makers has brought a lot of happiness while I'm in this waiting period in my life.  Thank you so much to each of the challenge hosts who chose one of my cards. 

See you soon with another new card!  Enjoy your weekend and...

Happy Stamping! 



Quilt Square Thank You Card

Hello, Friends!

One of the things I miss the most about sleeping in a bed in my own house is having a quilt on my bed.  For those who might be coming to my blog for the first time, I have a severe back injury which I should finally be having surgery for in the next month or so.  It's so bad I have to live with my parents who have to do almost everything for me.  I can't stand up to go grocery shopping, can't lift a pitcher of Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light, and definitely can't work.   Almost everything I own is in storage.  Thank goodness I thought to bring some of my craft things or I'd be going crazy.  (My parents are sweet enough to pick those things up and bring them to the table for me so I can use them, too.)  The most comfortable place for me to sleep is on the couch.  I haven't slept in a real bed for months.  However, ever since my first apartment, I've had a quilt on my bed.  I love the warm cozy feeling of a quilt.  Even in the summer, I have a light-weight quilt on my bed.  In Arizona, I had a striped quilt on my bed.  They're just so pretty.  They make the bedroom look inviting.  They're soft.  Can you tell I just love a good quilt?

My parents are great people, but they aren't quilt people.  They are comforter people.  There's a difference.  It's not like I'd never speak to them again for being comforter people, but a bed with a comforter is not the same.  A couch without a comforter or a quilt is definitely not the same thing!

So, when My Favorite Things made this quilt die, it took me back home.  At least, it took me back to my home in my mind and I liked it...a lot.  I didn't ever have a quilt with this pattern on it, but that was okay.  It was close enough.  Since I also have family and friends that are quilt people, I knew I'd get good use out of this die.  My aunt is also a quilt person.  So instead of sending my aunt and uncle the thank you card that ended up looking like a Valentine's card I showed you here, I made this card. 

I used the color scheme from the ColourQ Challenge #276.   They have beautiful color combinations that I've used for years.  This one made a beautiful quilt, if I do say so, myself! 

This card was so easy to make.  It's hard to see in the picture unfortunately, but I stamped pink, green and dark brown card stock with a background stamp to give it a pattern on the card stock in Versamark ink.  I just wanted a soft pattern and broken apart, it looks just like calico material you'd find at a fabric store.  Then, I put large strips of double stick adhesive that had a paper cover on one side of the tape directly on the pink and green card stock before I ran it through my die-cut machine.  (If I had thought ahead, I would have done this with the dark brown, too and saved all of the little dark brown inside pieces.  I didn't think of that until it was too late since I knew I was only going to use the outline.)  Since I did think to do it to the pink and green card stock, this made each piece like a sticker that I only had to peel the back off of and insert into the brown outline.   Since I used two different colors for the main quilt pieces, I only used half of each of the die cut pieces.  Now I can make another card like this one, only with the colors in the reverse places, or I can just save these and combine them with other colors.  Wouldn't the bright pink look sweet with a light pink for a baby girl card?  I'm already half way there because I've got half of the pieces die cut with adhesive on the back!

A paper quilt block isn't quite the same as a fabric quilt, but until I get my back fixed and am back in my own home, it definitely reminds me of that cozy feeling I used to get.  Thanks, My Favorite Things, for giving me back one of my favorite things!

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

MPD Contemporary Roses Stamp Set and Damask Backgound Stamp by My Favorite Things

Versamark Ink by Tsukineko

Chocolate Chip Classic Ink by Stampin' Up

Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake (Kraft) and Chocolate Chip Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Quilt Square Cover-Up Die-namics by My Favorite Things

Strawberry Slush Stretch Ruffle Trim

Scor-Tape Crafting Tape

You Brighten My Day Gingerbread Houses

Hello, Friends!

I couldn't sleep last night and for some reason, this card popped into my head.  From the first time I saw this little house from Stampin' Up that could be punched out with the arrow punch, I knew I wanted it.  I thought it looked just like a gingerbread house. 

You'd have thought when I saw the blog Merry Monday Christmas Challenge was having a challenge for cards with houses on them six days ago, I would have thought of this immediately.  I didn't.  In fact, the challenge ends in about a half an hour and I'm rushing to get my card on my blog so I can enter it.  Sometimes, insomnia can be beneficial- I've thought of a couple of cards now in the middle of the night.  If only this one had come a day or two earlier, it would have been a big help! 

Creativity is good.  No matter when it comes!

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

You Brighten My Day Stamp Set by Stampin' Up

Pure Innocence Christmas Stocking Girl Stamp Set by My Favorite Things

Frost White Pigment Ink by Color Box

Solar White 110 lb Card Stock by Neenah

Cajun Craze Card Stock by Stampin' Up

White Opaque Finish Embossing Powder by Zing!

What's Up Punch by Stampin' Up

This Is The Life Frames Craft Dies by Simon Says Stamp

Hedgehugs Lawn Cuts Dies by Lawn Fawn

Pierced Flags STAX Die-namics by My Favorite Things

I think I made it in time!





Aspen Trees Stenciled Card



Hello, Friends!

This is a card I created with a different technique but one that I love!  It's easy, fun, and it makes me feel like a cake decorator, which I always wanted to be. 

Now you know a little known fact about me.  When I was in kindergarten I read a book about being a baker and I have wanted to be a baker ever since.  Ten whole years!  (maybe a few more...decades...something like that.)  Anyway, I don't want to have to get up at 2 or 3 in the morning though to start baking.  I'd like to be a baker that opened my store around 11:00 am so I could come in around 8:00 in the morning.  When I lived in Arizona if you didn't get to the bakery by 7:30, all the good doughnuts were gone.  That's not fair to people who like to sleep late.  I'd be the baker that catered to people who don't get up super early in the morning.  I'd have food for people who like a fresh doughnut as an afternoon snack.  Of course I'd also have cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and cakes which brings me back to my card.

So what is the technique, if you haven't guessed already from the picture and the cake decorating feeling I get when I use it?  Simple embossing paste and a stencil.  When I used this technique for the first time, I took a class given by the company Dreamweaver Stencils at a scrapbook store about an hour away probably ten years ago.  This time it was a real ten years.  They used brass stencils back then but for my card, I used a plastic one. 

The directions are pretty simple.  Put down a protector on your table, so you don't get embossing paste on it.  I use a non-stick craft sheet from Ranger.  Tape your card front down using a removable tape.  I use blue painters tape.  Then, tape your stencil down on top of the card, again using removable tape.  Since the stencil was 6x6 inches and I was only making a 5 1/2x 4 1/4 inch card, I put my blue tape over the areas of the stencil that did not have card stock underneath it.  Use a palette knife, like a special small spatula, to scoop up some embossing paste, which looks a lot like frosting, on the back of the knife.  Pull the palette knife towards you, using it to push the embossing paste down over the stencil so it fills in the holes.  While the embossing paste is still wet, gently lift the stencil straight up to take it off.  Clean off the embossing paste from your stencil.  Let the paste dry on your card.

There are ways to add colors and textures to your design.  Embossing paste comes in several colors now, but I colored my own using Distress Inks.  I turned the ink pad upside down and put ink right on my craft sheet that protected the table.  Then I used my spatula to mix the white paste into the ink until I got the color I wanted.  I put the light blue embossing paste over part of my stencil.  Then I made a darker blue, and put it over the rest of the stencil.  I could have pulled the palette knife flat down so my embossing paste was smooth.  However, since trees aren't smooth, I didn't want my embossing paste to be smooth. 

I wanted the trees to be the centerpiece of my card so I just added a simple sentiment on a die cut oval with baker's twine underneath it so it wasn't just floating on top of the trees.  I put the sentiment on with foam tape.  I love that stuff!  I put the image on a dark blue card stock notecard and it was complete!

There was only one difficult part of this card and that was getting a good picture of it.  Unfortunately, the rough embossing paste made it very difficult  to photograph for some reason.  I actually took the picture with the card laying flat on it's back instead of standing up like you would normally take a picture of a card.  For some reason taking the picture straight on just looked blurry and it's not blurry at all in person.  It's still not the greatest picture ever and still looks much better in person, but it's a lot better than the first one hundred or so photos that I took.  (That number isn't an exaggeration either!) 

This stencil is great for masculine cards, which can sometimes be difficult!  I am entering my card in the blog challenge at The Male Room.  Their challenge is to use shades of blue on a craft project, card, tag, etc. designed for a man.


I am also entering my card in the stencil challenge on the CAS on Sunday blog.  My card has one main image, limited layers, limited embellishments and was quick and easy to create.



This card also reminds me of winter.  It may be because of the color scheme or the trees without leaves.  Because it makes me think of winter, I am entering it in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog Winter Stamping.

If you'd like to make a card like this, I encourage you to go to YouTube and look up videos using embossing paste.  This will give you a visual of how to use this fun product which is probably easier than just following my directions!

Happy Stamping!


I used the following products to make this card:

Sincere Salutations Stamp Set by Stampin' Up
Stormy Sky and Faded Jeans Distress Ink by Tim Holtz at Ranger
Solar White 110 lb Card Stock by Neenah
Not Quite Navy Card Stock by Stampin' Up
6x6 Aspen Trees Stencil by TCW
Non-Stick Craft Sheet by Ranger
Wendy Vecchi White Studio 490 Embossing Paste by Dreamweaver Stencils
Palette Knife Set by Viva Décor
Scotch Safe Release Blue Masking Painter's Tape by 3M
White Baker's Twine by Stampin' Up
Pierced Oval STAX Die-namics by My Favorite Things
Scotch Double Sided Permanent Foam Tape by 3M

  



Brandy and Emma Let It Snow

Hello, Friends!

I was able to make a card to share with you!  It's not the one I couldn't get a picture of yesterday.  That one is an "any time of year card" and I will definitely be sharing it soon.  I love this stamp set, though and wanted to be sure I got to use it before winter was over.  Even though Christmas challenges run all year long, this is just the perfect "after the Holidays, but it's still winter" stamp set.  It's called, "Brandy and Emma Let It Snow."  It's created by Phyllis Harris and produced by Unity Stamp Company.  Phyllis Harris has created several stamps featuring Brandy and Emma.  I know the dog isn't a wiener dog, but as a dog lover, I just love these stamps.  The original sentiment that comes with the set is "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"  I just wanted to add it in the circle above the main image, so I colored one set of words with a brown marker, stamped it, and punched it out with a circle punch.

By using the sentiment that way, it fit the sketch at Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #252.  Besides, my dad actually hates the snow.  Since my parents have had to take care of me, including getting my stamping supplies for me, I thought I better keep that in mind.  (The disks in my back are so bad that I can't lift anything that has any weight to it.)  We actually bought my dad a sweatshirt that he wears regularly that says, "Let it melt. Let it melt. Let it melt."  That's great for a sweatshirt, but not for my cute little girl and her dog building a snowman.  I compromised, though, and just added one "Let it snow."  My dad really liked this card, so it must have been effective!
  

 The challenge at Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge is Winter Stamping.  This snowy scene is my entrance for this challenge.

Finally, I am entering my card in "Friends with Flair" on the Unity Stamp Company blog.  Both the sentiment and the main image stamp are included in this stamp set from Unity. 

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Brandy and Emma Let It Snow Stamp Set by Unity Stamp Company

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko

Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Marker by Stampin' Up

Copic Markers

Pure Luxury White Card Stock by Gina K

Bashful Blue and Midnight Muse Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Bundled Up 6x6 Paper Pad by Carta Bella

Circle Punch by EK Success

Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX Die-namics by My Favorite Things

Scotch Double Sided Permanent Foam Tape by 3M



Good News!

 

Hello, Friends!

 

I have a card to share with you.  Unfortunately, I just can't get a good picture of it tonight.  After making it and then trying to photograph it, my back is killing me.  I have good news, though.  Part of why my back hurts so bad is because I saw a new surgeon on Tuesday and he is going to be able to help me.  (It's always worse after someone examines it.)  I will be able to stay on my pain medicine until after I recover from the surgery that will fix it.  You may remember the first surgeon I saw wanted me to go off of all my pain medicine before surgery.  I tried, but was just in too much pain because my back is so bad.  This surgeon is very nice, has a very calming personality and I really liked him.  He gave us lots of information and answered all of our questions.  I'll give you more details closer to surgery about the lumbar fusion I will be having and when I'm not in quite so much pain!  It will get a little better after it settles down from being examined.

 

I would like to thank the Fusion Card Challenge for recognizing this card in their One Year Anniversary Celebration Challenge. 

 

 

I originally posted about this card here.  I received their Honorable Mention award which absolutely was an honor!

 

 

Kimberly chose my card because she liked the "clean crisp chalkboard with the lovely tassels and stars."  You can see all of the winners here.  I will be adding their badge to my blog as soon as my back allows.  Now it's back to the couch to rest for me.

 

Happy Stamping!



Love You With All My Heart

 Hello, Friends!

This looks like a Valentine's Day card, doesn't it?  It wasn't supposed to.  Actually, it was going to be a thank you card for two people that I love a lot who were very nice and generous with me for my birthday and Christmas.  Only it doesn't look like a thank you card at all.  It looks like a Valentine.  In my defense, if I had made this same card in September, it wouldn't have looked so Valentine-y.  It just happens to be Valentine's time of year.  Have you ever made a card with one thing in mind and had it turn out completely different than you had planned?  This isn't the first time it's happened to me, nor will it be the last.  Ironically, if I don't use it as a thank you card, it will be a Valentine's Day card for the first two people's granddaughter, whom I also love very much.  Either way, it will stay in the family as a card for someone I love. 

This is a Pure Innocence stamp from My Favorite Things.  I love them.  Not as much as I love the people this card is going to one way or another, but I like them an awful lot!  I was brave and put red polka dots on the little girl's dress.  I also gave her little red hearts on her shoes.  Of course, the red dots and the red hearts added to the Valentine's feel of the card, but that's okay.  On the My Favorite Things sketch that I based it on, the sentiment is up higher, but I didn't want to cover up her shoes, so I put it down lower.  I would have put the heart like it was in the sketch and made the flagged piece longer, but I didn't look back at the sketch and forgot exactly where it was.  Oh well.  I'm happy with how it turned out and that's all that really matters.  Be creative, friends.  Just because you use a sketch, and I often do, it doesn't mean you're tied to it.  If the first card doesn't turn out like you thought it would, make another...and another...and another.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

 



My Favorite Things Card Challenges provide the sketch for this card that I followed as long as my brain allowed.  :) 

Sunday Stamps has a color challenge of red, white, and kraft.  This is perfect for Valentine's Day cards.  Ha!  I crack myself up sometimes. 

The NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) challenge to use your craft products instead of just collecting them gets an entry because this is the first time I've used the My Favorite Things Oval Open Scallop Doily.  I got it when they were having a big sale and thought it would be perfect to use with their Pure Innocence stamps.  This is also the first time I've used the girl from this stamp set, but I had used the sentiment before.  Darnell, the lady who runs this challenge, is sweet and encouraging.  If you haven't been to her blog, go to www.djkardkreations.com to check it out.   

The Loves Rubberstamps Challenge Blog challenged stampers to stamp in any color except black.  I love coloring in imagines and use a lot of line art images these days.  I always stamp them in Tuxedo Black ink by Memento.  This challenge, though, made me stamp in a different color- Rich Cocoa ink by Memento.  The brown ink gave the card a softer feel and worked well with the color palette.  I could still see the outline for my little girl so I'll do this again sometime!

Happy Stamping!

    

I used the following products to make this card:

Pure Innocence Love You With All My Heart Stamp Set by My Favorite Things

Memento Rich Cocoa Ink by Tsukineko
Copic Markers
Pure Luxury White Card Stock by Gina K
Real Red and Crumb Cake Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Stacked With Love Designer Series Paper Stack by Stampin' Up

Oval Open Scallop Doily and Blueprints 15 Die-namics by My Favorite Things

Santa Paws with Chilly Chums

Hello, Friends!

I decided to make a funny little Christmas card today for some challenges and here it is.  Who knew when I was in college (a million years ago), a picture the girls on the 3rd floor in the dorm took would inspire a handmade card years and years later?!   Back then, one person laid on the floor and the rest of us made a circle around that person and looked down at the camera, giggling like only college age girls can giggle.  This is what the resulting picture looked like.  Not exactly, of course.  Our picture was of 19 year old silly girls.  This is Santa, a penguin and a walrus, but you get the idea.  (Just so you know, I don't think I ever expected to say "This is Santa, a penguin, and a walrus" in my entire life, especially so flippantly like it was completely normal.  I'm a bit concerned about this.  We'll move on for now.)  So, when I was thinking about the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches #169 for this week, it reminded me of looking down into a circle or hole, not just a flat image stamped on a circle shape.

  The brain is a mysterious thing isn't it?  I can't remember what I had for lunch on Friday but all these years later this just happened to come to mind today.  I knew the other challenges I was going to enter into were both Christmas Challenges so I broke out my Christmas Paper Smooches stamps.  I just love their fun whimsical designs.  Then it was time to get to work.   Freshly Made Sketches encourages clean lined creations but it's not the same as clean and simple cards.  They encourage lots of detail and embellishments as long as there is still a clean look to your card- lots of white space and clean edges.  This is the reason there is a button and some bakers twine in a bow on my card.  There are also more than one layer because of the paper on the side and the sentiment. 

This card took some planning to create.  The images are on the front of the card base.  There is another layer of white card stock with a circle die-cut out of it that went on top of the card base with the circle opening around the images.  This way, you can imagine laying on the floor, looking up, and seeing the faces of your Christmas friends.  It took some planning to get the circles to line up and the faces to fit.  Santa is a big boy and takes up more than his 1/3 of the circle, so the other two images have to fit in smaller spaces.  The time spent planning was worth it, though, to get my card to turn out the way I had pictured it in my head.  

 

Merry Monday Challenge is to create a Christmas card with Critters!  Hooray!  Cards with critters are my specialty.  Especially cards with cute critters, whether it's wiener dogs, bunnies, hedgehogs, penguins, a walrus- whatever the critter, I knew I had to take part in this challenge as soon as I saw it, because if you haven't figured it out yet, I LOVE CRITTERS!  Just look at the critter in the inspirational photo.  It looks like a bunny from Muppets Christmas Carol.  Does anyone know?  Anyway, that critter is cute.  I love critters.  I'm in!

The ABC Christmas Challenge is Anything for Christmas (Optional antlers.)  I didn't have any antlers that would work proportionally to my other stamps but I did have walrus tusks.  I'm sure they're looking for the letter "a" in "antlers" which isn't anything close to the "t" in "tusks."  My card is an  "anything" cute card ready for Christmas so I think it counts even without the antlers. 

Lastly, Paper Smooches, the creators of all of the stamps used on this card is having an "Anything Goes" challenge.  Their stamps are so fun and they have awesome fonts for their sentiments.  Since my card showcases their products, I wanted to enter it in the Paper Smooches Anything Goes Challenge. 

Well, now you know one of the things I did for fun in college- took goofy pictures which I have immortalized in my scrapbooks, even before scrapbooking was a cool hobby to have.  I'm so glad, too, because I'm still friends with a lot of those girls.  Actually, a lot of them have offered their prayers and support during this awful back crisis, so remembering the good, clean fun we used to have is an awesome way to spend some time. 

It's Sunday, so try to make time to go stamp a card that reminds you of something wonderfully goofy from your past.  Trust me!  It's really fun! Plus, I've got another Christmas card ready for 2015.  Don't worry- you'll see more than just Christmas cards around here, but I just had to participate in Christmas Critters!

Happy Stamping, Friends!

I used the following products to make this card:

Santa Paws, Chilly Chums and Swanky Snowdudes Stamp Sets by Paper Smooches

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko

Basic Gray Classic Ink by Stampin' Up

Solar White 110 lb Card Stock by Neenah

Real Red Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Frosty Friends 6x6 Paper Pad by Doodlebug Design Inc.

Copic Markers

Brights Designer Series Buttons by Stampin' Up

KI Bakery Twine by Hampton Art (the red, pink, purple card)

Stitched Circle and Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX Die-namics by My Favorite Things

Milk and Cookies One Layer Card

Hello, Friends!

I decided to try and make another Clean and Simple card.  This time, I wanted to add some texture, but without adding layers.  I only embossed part of the card with an embossing folder and left an empty circle where I could stamp.  The circle seemed a little unfinished where the embossed dots stopped, so I used a circle die and embossed it so it made a ring around the space where I was going to stamp.  This left me a round space that was perfect to stamp these cuties, Mr. Milk and Miss Cookie.  I wish you could see the card in person because the hearts have pink Wink of Stella on the bottom ones and clear Wink of Stella on the top.  Miss Cookie has purple Wink of Stella on her shoes.  This adds just a little sparkle to the card.   Inside, the sentiment says, "We are better together."  Awwww!  How sweet!  There is a heart on each side of the words which I also colored with pink Wink of Stella.  This card may be clean and simple, but it's not plain!   

I am entering my card in a new challenge to me, Virginia's View Challenge #11 Clean Slate.  In this challenge, there is a lot of white space.  There is only one layer to the card.  There is white on white textured designs (the embossed dots).  In it, a clean slate means anything that involves white and my clean and simple one layer card has lots of white! 

Another new challenge blog that I have found which my card goes with is the Less Is More blog.  This challenge is "One Layer Cards" with a theme of "New Beginnings."   I can't think of many things more fun and exciting than the beginning of a new romantic relationship, when the boy you have had a crush on holds your hand for the first time.  I know the girl cookie stamp doesn't have real eyes, but I swear she's looking at that boy glass of milk with love in them!  Whether your special relationship started 40 years ago, 4 days ago, or is just around the corner, I hope the thought of that new beginning makes you smile like that cookie and glass of milk! 

The first one layer challenge I ever entered is the One-Layer Simplicity Challenge.  I am entering my card in this month's One-Layer Simplicity Challenge Attractive Opposites.  One layer is still hard for me!  However, this card is just one layer and it has lots of opposites.  There is a boy and a girl.  There is plain and fancy- the milk has on plain work boots but the cookie has on glittery heels. The milk is a liquid but the cookie is a solid.  This milk has a straw to drink it, but the cookie has a bite out of it.  There are raised spots and flat spots on the card itself.  There may be opposites, but these opposites attract!  Just look at the hearts between the two images.  :)

Finally, I am also entering my card in "Friends with Flair" on the Unity Stamp Company blog.  "Milk and Cookie" is one of Unity Stamp Company's Itty Bitty Stamp Sets.  All their stamps are 50% off this weekend for the owner's birthday with the code ANGBDAY.  You can get this stamp set for just $3.50 (plus shipping which is only $.42 if you place an order of $20 or more which isn't hard, believe me!)

I hope you have a great weekend!

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Milk and Cookie Stamp Set by Unity Stamp Company

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko

Solar White 110 lb Card Stock by Neenah

Copic Markers

Clear, Dark Pink and Violet Wink of Stella

Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder by Stampin' Up

Embossing Diffuser 3 Pack, Set #1 by Sizzix

Silicone Rubber Sizzix Texturz Accessory by Sizzix

Stitched Circle Die-namics by My Favorite Things





From the Herd

Hello, Friends!

Happy Thursday!

 When I saw this new stamp in the Stampin' Up Occassions catalog, I knew I had to have it for several reasons.  First, I thought the animals were hilarious.  I love the looks on all their faces!  Second, it's called, "From the Herd," which is one of the stamps included with the animals.  I don't have many stamps that say anything like, "from all of us" or "from the group."  When I was working, I was the one who always made the card that ended up being "from all of us," so I thought it was great for that reason.  Third, it could be used for men or women.  Cards for men are always harder for me because I tend to specialize in cute cards.  Not all men want cards in pinks and purples with bunnies and wiener dogs on them.  Let's face it.  Most men don't want cards in pinks and purples with bunnies on them.  Wiener dogs are good for anything. :)  I also liked this stamp because it could be used for lots of different occasions because the main stamp of the animals is rather generic.  That's not a bad thing at all.  That means it's going to be very versatile.  Finally, besides the "from the herd" sentiment, the other sentiments with it were also funny.  There's "it's pasture birthday," "party animals," and "just looking in on you," for just a few.
  

To prove my point that this card can be used for a man, I made this card for my uncle.  He just retired from working for Met Life after being there for 40 years.  If that doesn't deserve a card, I don't know what does!  Because this stamp is pretty large, I just used it on the front.  I could have added party hats on my animals or balloons which are included in the set, but I had already colored my entire picture, and I was afraid I'd mess it up!  I did want to spice it up a little bit, though, so I added the black and white bow. 

On the inside, I was brave and stamped a yellow balloon from the same stamp set along with the words "Congratulations" and then below that, "from the herd."  Then, we'll sign my parents names along with me, Frankfurter, and Dr. Phil (my parents cat.)  Otherwise, we're not much of a herd.

 Since I'm using my card for a man, I'm entering it in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge It's A Guy Thing.   

I hope my uncle likes his card.  I'm sure he'll like his retirement, so I think it will be fine.

Happy Stamping!

I used the following supplies on the outside of this card:

From the Herd Stamp Set by Stampin' Up

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko
Copic Markers

Solar White 110 lb Card Stock by Neenah

Basic Black Card Stock by Stampin' Up

All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack by Stampin' Up

3/4" Basic Black Chevron Ribbon by Stampin' Up





Another Great Year Birthday Card

Hello, Friends!

A sweet lady took the time to comment on my post yesterday when I said I was torn between making snowman cards and Valentine's cards because the time to make them was running out!  She pointed out that with Christmas Challenges that run all year long, I can make snowman cards all year long.  Cha Ching!  Problem solved!  I also thought that the people we love probably like to get little "I love you" cards year round too, not just on February 14th.  So, thanks to a wonderful lady, my dilemma has been resolved and I can stamp whatever I want.  Hallelujah!

With that in mind, I didn't make a snowman or a Valentine's card today.  I made this birthday card instead.  As soon as I saw the Fusion Challenge, for their one year anniversary, I knew I wanted to participate in it, but time was running out. 

With this challenge, you can make a project just based on the sketch, just based on the photo, or based on both of them.  I just based my card on the photo which I loved.  I liked the soft pink colors, the chalkboard, the style of writing on the chalkboard which was similar to a stamp I already owned and the birthday theme.  I loved the hanging banner across the top of the frame and couldn't wait to figure out a way to reproduce it.  Also, I need a birthday card for a special family member at the beginning of February, so this way, I'm ahead of the game.  I think she will like the card too, which will be an even bigger bonus!

I started by making my frame.  I used the largest rectangle frame Dienamics from My Favorite Things to cut out the gold frame.  I also used this die to cut out the black rectangle that fit perfectly inside it.  I stamped my stamp from "Another Great Year" by Stampin' Up with White Pigment ink onto black card stock.  Then, I embossed the words with white embossing powder.  Next, I needed the pieces for my banner.  My Favorite Things Blueprints 17 was made to form a chalkboard with banners and other items that could be strung across the top of it.  One of the pieces was perfect for my banner.  It even looked similar to the picture.  I cut those out in the 4 colors used in the picture and then cut 4 slits in each of them to mimic the pieces shown in the photograph.  I ran a piece of Bakers Twine that matched one of the colors of card stock banners across the top of the frame.  Then I added each piece on to make the banner string across the top.

Finally, I added 2 stars from the same Dienamics and 3 sequins to give it more of a party theme.  I tried adding a cake to the side like in the picture, but it just looked a bit out of place.  That's when I went with the stars and sequins instead.

I'm also going to enter my card in the Seize the Birthday Challenge.  I just spoke about this challenge a couple of cards ago.  There is the Anything Goes challenge, but a toppings challenge if you want something more specific.  The toppings challenge is "Party."  I think this card looks much more like a party than the first one did.  So it qualifies for the "Anything Goes" Birthday challenge and the "Party" Toppings Challenge. 

There are a lot of challenges for something new right now.  For this card, I'm entering it in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Something New.  My something new is crafty supplies.  I've never used sequins on a card before, even though they are wildly popular.  I've never used the little banner die from My Favorite Things Blueprints 17 Dienamics.  I had never used this color combination of Baker's Twine before.  It just arrived last week which was perfect for this card!

Happy Stamping whether it's snowman cards, Valentines, Birthday or whatever else makes you happy!

I used the following products to make this card:

Another Great Year Stamp Set by Stampin' Up

Rectangle Frames and Blueprints 17 Die-namics  by My Favorite Things

Frost White Pigment Archival Ink by Color Box

Solar White 110 lb Card Stock by Neenah

Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Blushing Bride, Basic Black and Brushed Gold Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Rainbow Assortment of Sequins by Doodlebug Design Inc

Blushing Bride Baker's Twine by Stampin' Up

White Opaque Finish Embossing Powder by Zing!





Office Space Valentine Card

Hello, Friends!

I'm so torn right now because I want to make snow and snowman cards because it's January and time is almost up for snow and snowman cards.  I also want to make Valentine's cards because February 14 is just a little over a month away.  You can't wait until February to make Valentine's cards because then you only have two weeks.  What to do? What to do? 

Luckily, this sketch just lent itself perfectly to a Valentine's card.  

I've had the "Office Space" stamp set and Dienamics dies from My Favorite Things for a month or so and I've been anxious to make a card with them the whole time I've had them.  The long rectangles in this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches Challenge 168 were perfect to use with the stapler or the roll of tape that comes in the stamp set.  I decided to use the stapler for this card.  I liked the way the papers looked a little disheveled like they could be on a messy desk which was the other reason I thought it was a good stamp set to use with this sketch.  It's hard to see in the picture, but I stapled the "messy" papers together to go along with the theme of the card.  Since the staple kind of blended in, I also stapled the white background layer to the red background layer where the staples would definitely show up.  Freshly Made Sketches challenges like clean-lined and fresh cards.  This, and another challenge, influenced my color choices.

The color challenge at The Color Throwdown this week was red, white and black.  This was perfect for my office-themed Valentine's card.  The touch of red is striking with the black and white and really makes the typical black office stapler show up.  I'm sure you'll see cards with the office pieces in other colors, but the Color Throwdown was perfect for this specific card.   

Almost every thing on this card was NBUS, never-before-used-schtuff.  My stamps, matching dies and the Valentine patterned papers on the card, which are from Stampin' Up, had never been used before.  This means I can enter my card in the NBUS Challenge Anything Goes.  Darnell, that runs this challenge, was so sweet to mention me on her blog on Sunday as a talented new friend to meet.  Isn't that sweet?!  She said very nice things about me, as well, which was even sweeter!  I'm convinced stampers and crafters and the nicest people out there.

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Office Space Stamp Set by My Favorite Things

Office Space Die-namics by My Favorite Things

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko

Whisper White and Real Red Card Stock from Stampin' Up

Stacked with Love Designer Series Paper Stack from Stampin' Up

Scotch Double Sided Permanent Foam Tape by 3M

Staples