Pinspiring Monday!

Happy Monday, friends! I got several cute cards made over the weekend that I can’t wait to show you this week.  Today, as usual, is a project I made based on a picture that was pinned to my Pinspiring! board on Pinterest.

This photo of cut dahlias in little class jars is just so pretty.  I tracked it back to Elizabeth Anne Designs photograph of an elegant wedding.

For my card I decided to make a huge paper dahlia.  These are so fun and easy to make – if you’ve never made one before there is an excellent tutorial over at OWH Stars & Stamps (written by my dear friend Kate!)   I tweaked it a little by using smaller circles and eliminating one fold.  I made one dahlia, then I added a second layer of petals underneath it to end up with this huge one. The large rhinestone in the middle started out clear – I colored it with a Copic.

The card base is a heathered-looking grey cardstock that reminds me of marble.  I die cut a large opening in the front of the card and adhered acetate behind it to create a window – inspired by the glass jars in the photo.

I’m pleased with the final card but it is pretty thick and lumpy – so I won’t be sending it to OWH, I’ll save it to give to a friend.

(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

About this card:  The cardstock is all from my scraps bin.  The acetate is an old transparency!  I used the Top Note die on my Big Shot to create the window in the card base.   The rhinestone is from Making Memories and was colored with a Copic marker. 

Tags: big shot, copics, making memories, rhinestones, top note, transparency

CASE the Catalog!

Hello, friends! As promised here is my weekly project inspired by the current Stampin’ Up! Idea Book & Catalog.  On Sunday when my mom was over for Mother’s Day brunch, I handed her the catalog and told her to pick a card for me to CASE because I was running out of ideas! Of course she found four good ones in the first section that I had passed over!

I really liked the layout of this card on page 34…

My version is pretty dramatically different.  It isn’t a Christmas card, and I had to resize some of the elements to fit my stamp.  But the layout is pretty much the same, as is the layered, punched border and sentiment, and the use of a metal clip for embellishment.

I decided to brush up on my aquabrush skills (hah, see what I did there?) since I am planning to teach my card class how to do basic watercoloring for stamping later this summer.

(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

About this card:  The sentiment and flowers are both from the Technique Tuesday Greenhouse Society 04-12 stamp set and are stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink.  The flowers are stamped on watercolor paper and then colored using an aquabrush and Distress Ink in Barn Door and Fired Brick.  I then watercolored the background with Distress Ink Iced Spruce, going darker around the edges for a “glow” effect.  I used a green marker to color the tiny bits of green stem, and a gold gel pen dotted in the center of the flowers.  I matted this panel with Stampin’ Up! Early Espresso cardstock.  The red polka dot designer paper is from my scraps bin, and I cut it with a deckle edge blade along with a strip of more Early Espresso and layered them.  The sentiment is stamped on Bazzill Kraft cardstock and is layered over more red polka dot, both are hand cut into a pennant shape.   The gold metal clip is from Making Memories.   The background paper is from the Bo Bunny Olivia collection.

Tags: bazzill, bo bunny, clips, distress ink, early espresso, kraft, making memories, technique tuesday, versafine, watercolor, watercolor paper

Happy Birthday

I have a cute birthday card to share today that is loosely based on an OWH sketch, #105.   This card will go in my Operation Write Home box – which is getting kinda full, so I need to pack it up and ship it out soon!

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

About this card: The sentiment from Stampin’ Up! Elementary Elegance stamp set was stamped in SU! Chocolate Chip ink on a scrap of ivory cardstock.  I punched it into a circle and layered it over a punched scallop circle of SU! Cameo Coral cardstock.  I used a Viva Decor pearl pen to add pearls to the scallops and then adhered this piece with dimensional adhesives. The vertical background strip is designer paper from Making Memories hand cut into a pennant shape then layered over strips of SU! Cameo Coral that were border punched with the scallop trim punch.  The polka dot background is more Making Memories paper and the mat is SU! Brocade Blue cardstock. 

Tags: brocade blue, cameo coral, chocolate chip, circle punch, elementary elegance, making memories, pearl pen, scallop circle punch, scallop trim border punch

To Wonderful You

I have been working on handmade thank you notes to send to all the ladies that came and made cards at my OWH cardmaking event on March 3rd.   Hopefully some of them will get a kick out of the fact that I’m using scraps from our kits to make the cards

I got the idea for this card from a card I saw on Pinterest ( or click here to see the original blog post ) from Lisa A of I’m in Haven.   Also a fun little tip – I’m writing my message for the inside on large post it notes and sticking them to the inside of the card, with a PS for the recipient to re-use the card!

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

About this card: The flower is three separate flowers from Prima Marketing that I layered and accented with a large rhinestone from Making Memories.  The strips of designer paper and the cardstock base were donations to the OWH party that were leftover.  The sentiment is from Stampin’ Up! Sweet Little Sentiments and is stamped in SU! Basic Black ink on a white cardstock scrap, then punched with the Designer Label punch.  The front of the card base was dry embossed on my Big Shot with the Sizzix Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. 

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Tags: basic black, big shot, designer label punch, dry embossing, making memories, prima flowers, rhinestones, sizzix, sweet little sentiments, vintage wallpaper

CASE the Catalog Monday!

Over the weekend I had a great Operation Write Home cardmaking event with lots of fun, talented ladies helping to make cards – stay tuned for the full report tomorrow!

Today’s card is inspired by a card on page 12 of the current Stampin’ Up! Idea Book & Catalog.  I loved the unique layout of this card!

I kept pretty true to their layout but completely changed the color scheme.  I recently saw a post on the OWH Facebook page about the best way to use neons so I decided to challenge myself and use these neon papers that somehow are in my stash and that I normally pass over.  I also had this neat rainbow ribbon that I’d received in a swap and wanted to find a good use for.  You might need sunglasses but the card came out pretty cute, I think:

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

About this card:  The sentiment from SU! Something to Celebrate was stamped in SU! Basic Black ink and hand cut into a pennant shape.   The rhinestone flower is from Making Memories.  The designer paper is from the BasicGrey Lauderdale 6×6 pack and is punched with a scallop circle punch.  The rainbow ribbon was received in a swap.  The blue circle is punched from SU! Ballet Blue cardstock.  The pale green circles and the neon pink background cardstocks are random from my stash.

Tags: ballet blue, basic black, basicgrey, making memories, rhinestones, ribbon, scallop circle punch, something to celebrate

Thank You Hero

In addition to the usual cards for troops to send home, this time at my OWH Cardmaking party we’re also going to make a card in which we’ll write a note of encouragement for the troops, what the OWH folks call an ”Anyhero” card.  They include a few of these in every box of blank cards shipped out, so they are always needing more. 

Here’s the one we’re going to make which features a free digital image from Handmade by Paula (thanks, Paula!):

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

About this card: Pinwheel made from scrap designer papers and white generic cardstock.  The silver star brad is from Making Memories.  The sentiment is a digital image courtesy of Handmade by Paula and is printed on white cardstock and matted with SU! Real Red cardstock and adhered with dimensional adhesives.  The navy blue textured cardstock background is from Bazzill.

Tags: bazzill, brads, digital stamp, making memories, real red

CASE the Catalog Monday!

Happy Monday, all! I got in some good crafting time over the weekend so I have lots of cute stuff to share this week!

As always on Mondays, I have a card inspired by a project in the current Stampin’ Up! Idea Book & Catalog.  Today’s card is from page 154 – and is one that I have had my eye on for awhile.

I love the trendy text background of course, and the colorful butterflies. 

For my version I used some pages from the old worn out paperback that I’m gradually repurposing, as well as some scraps of designer paper for my butterflies – in the original version I believe they are stamped then punched.  I left off the stitching but added an additional butterfly and made the sentiment panel larger.  I also put my butterflies in rainbow order, just because I liked it that way

(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

About this card:  The sentiment is from Stampin’ Up! Something To Celebrate and is stamped in Versafine Onyx ink on white cardstock which I hand cut into a pennant shape.  The large rhinestone is from Making Memories.   The butterflies are various pieces of scrap designer paper that I die cut with the Sizzix Beautiful Wings embosslit. I curled their wings up with my fingers before adhering them. The background panels are three pieces of old paper back matted on Bazzill black cardstock.  The base card is SU! Real Red.

Tags: bazzill, beautiful wings, book pages, making memories, real red, rhinestones, sizzix, something to celebrate, versafine

CAS Thanks

I thought I’d play along with the folks over at Operation Write Home who are showing off CAS (Clean and Simple) style cards today.   There are some really gorgeous cards to see over there!

I kept my card monochromatic for a CAS effect, and chose a simple sentiment and single bold embellishment.

(Click on picture to enlarge, click a second time to close)

About this card:  I cut the sentiment on my Silhouette SD and layered it over a strip of burgundy grosgrain ribbon.  The large rhinestone is from Making Memories.   The background paper is Anna Griffin which I used to completely cover my cardstock base card.  I used a corner rounder punch on the two bottom corners.

Tags: anna griffin, corner rounder, making memories, rhinestones, ribbon, silhouette

Sir Aiden

Recently I was commissioned to do two custom cards for two little boys based on the family’s name crest.   Their mom sent me some pictures for reference and we exchanged ideas back and forth until I had created the cards she envisioned.   I really love how they came out and with her permission I just had to share them with y’all.  I’m already pondering doing a simpler version in local school colors for friends and relatives. (Purple and gold! Geaux Tigers!)

Here’s a card for a special little knight:

(Forgive the wonky camera angle, it was late and I was tired! Click on picture to enlarge.)

About this card:  The sentiment was printed from my PC with an Old English Text font onto white cardstock.  I cut it into the banner shape by hand along with the red mat, and folded the ends under.   The shield is partially hand-cut and partially done on my Silhouette SD.  The stars are a small Fiskars punch.  The red cardstock is Stampin’ Up! Real Red, the yellow is Stampin’ Up! Summer Sun, the blue is from Bazzill (I think) and the white is Wausau.  The silver brads are from Making Memories.  The white and blue piecing on the shield is all on dimensional adhesives.   The blue background is dry embossed with the Stripes embossing folder by Sizzix.

Tags: bazzill, brads, dry embossing, fiskars, making memories, real red, silhouette, sizzix, stripes folder, summer sun, wausau

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today’s card is a special one – my mom’s birthday card!

I always like to try something new and different when I make a card for my mom, so for this one I tried a new fold that I’d seen around.  I used a tutorial from Splitcoast to create this Center Step card.  I should have paid more attention to the card dimensions, because once I was finished with the card I realized it was too large for any of the envelopes I had!! Mom got it with no envelope – she didn’t mind

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

About this card:  The flowers from Stampin’ Up! Soft Summer were stamped in SU! Chocolate Chip and heat embossed with clear powder on watercolor paper.  I sponged on SU! Bashful Blue ink around the flowers and then lightly colored the flowers with SU! markers in Pretty in Pink, Crushed Curry, Creamy Caramel, and Old Olive.  Then I sprayed over the watercolor paper with water mixed with white Perfect Pearls powder.  This added the shimmer and spread the colors out watercolor-style.  I die cut the watercolor paper with a Nestabilities Labels 8 die.  I sponged it lightly with SU! Chocolate Chip ink around the edges and mounted it on dimensional adhesives.  The ribbon is SU! Very Vanilla satin ribbon.  The designer papers are both from SU! Bella Birds series and are matted with SU! Chocolate Chip cardstock.   The sentiment is from SU! Something to Celebrate and is stamped in Chocolate Chip and heat embossed clear.   The adhesive pearls are from Making Memories.  The vertical columns are SU! Bordering Blue cardstock that have been dry embossed with the Cuttlebug folder Border Organic.  The card base is SU! Blush Blossom cardstock.

Tags: bashful blue, bella birds, blush blossom, border organic, bordering blue, chocolate chip, creamy caramel, crushed curry, cuttlebug folder, dry embossing, heat embossing, making memories, nestabilities, old olive, pearls, perfect pearls, pretty in pink, ribbon, soft summer, something to celebrate, watercolor paper