A Birthday Sunflower

The Gina K Autumn TV Kit is loaded with great images. I particularly like this sunflower, it comes in two sizes. I stamped the smaller one with Versamark on the green-Fresh Asparagus,which is layered over Sweet Corn. The card base is Ivory. I stamped the large Sunflower on the Ivory card stock and cut it out with an oval Nestabilities and then trimmed the edge off and used the same Nestabilities to cut out another oval of the Pumpkin Spice. I colored the image with Copics and then assembled the card. I used the brown brads that came with the kit in the corners and then ribbon from my stash for the sentiment.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

A Little Orange Button

While I was making cards yesterday I used four different Nestabilities to frame the image from the Papertrey set Wreath For All Seasons. On this one I again finger painted the edge to highlight it. After wrapping the brown string around the top I wanted to do something different than just tie a bow so I reached for a button. This one came from the Gina K Autumn mix. ( I don't have any orange Papertrey buttons).

I didn't put a sentiment on this one so I can use it for a variety of occasions.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

A Birthday Wreath

When I saw the latest release from Papertrey I knew as soon as I saw it that the Wreath For All Seasons set would have to be in my cart. I finally had some time to play with it today. During the Papertrey blog hop I came across this post and was so awed by the card that I had to try and copy it. I only make A2 size cards and I'm mathematically challenged so I couldn't do the door thing so I went to my Nestabilities for help. I think of these as those floor to ceiling windows you see in old houses.

Anyway I stamped the base wreath in Memento Rich Cocoa and the berries in Memento Potters Clay and Cantaloupe (Potters Clay first then quarter turn with Cantaloupe). I used words from the set for the sentiment and stamped in Rich Cocoa.

I had some dark brown twine that I wrapped around the card and tied in a bow and then decided my 'window' needed some color. I pulled out my metallic rub on paste and using my finger (loved kindergarten finger painting) rubbed copper and green for a verdigris look.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

A Felt Christmas Tree

When I saw the info about the Papertrey blog hop I was so glad that I had just received my latest Papertrey order. I so wanted to use the Tree die and this was a perfect opportunity. Among the items I ordered was the Chartreuse felt so I ran it through my Cuttlebug with the die and found out that I also needed to trim around the edges (my Cuttlebug must not be as tight as it could be).

I made my card base from a piece of dark green shimmery card stock and the DP is from Me & My Big Ideas Holiday paper pad. I had these little jingle bells in my stash so I hauled out my sewing box (something I very rarely do) and sewed them on, it still looked bare so I found this gold cord and threaded it through the bells and then I added some Martha Stewart Lily White glitter along the edges and sort of drifting down under the bells.

The sentiment is also Papertrey Inside & Out Holiday, I stamped the first two lines for the front and the rest inside. I had fun making this card even though sewing is not my thing I see it on so many cards these days I knew I had to try it. I must admit that I find a lot of inspiration from the different DT members at Papertrey, but I also love the attention to detail I see on so many blogs. My preferred style of card is clean and simple. I like the focal point not to be hidden by too many layers. Then I come across cards that have several layers and they only highlight the focal point, go figure. Well this card was fun to make and I hope you like it. Thanks for stopping by.

This is the card I made for Craig's birthday. The image is a digital from Tiddly Inks, it was a freebie way back when and I still love to use it. I colored with Copics, lots and lots of Copics. I corralled them into a coffee mug so I wouldn't have to list them all.
After I finished coloring the image I tried to adda glow around the top of the lighthouse and made a total mess. I didn't want to print out and color another one so I trimmed it out and mounted it onto the scalloped oval. I then added it to the lighter blue that I had rounded the corners.
The card base was the last of the Bazil Swiss Dots that I had left over from my nieces baby cards.
Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

JustRite Color Challenge #36

This was a fun challenge to do. It accomplished several things, first it made me go outside my comfort zone and it allowed me to use existing supplies. JustRite always has beautiful inspiration cards, and this time is no different.

The challenge is a color challenge to use Ivory, Red and Black with the addition of making an embellishment. Colors are no problem but making an embellishment to go with the colors is another story. You should have seen me trying to come up with an idea. I really, really wanted to use some of the black waffle shelving stuff we picked up a Lowe's today but I just couldn't get it to cooperate. Instead I took some black and white checked ribbon, put some scor-tape on it then twisted into a flower. I punched a hole in the center and added a brad an popped it onto the red ribbon. The base is Gina K Rocket Red and the ivory layer is Cryogen that I ran through my CuttleBug with the Floral Screen folder.

My focal image is from the Thinking of You Borders and Centers set. I colored with Copics R29 and R39 for the flower and YG03 and YG95 for the leaves. I air brushed the flat back pearls with E50. I used the plain and scalloped ovals to cut out the image and the mats. I used a Spica pen to dot the scallops.

Another thing this challenge helps with is that it's a card for the Christmas packets I put together every year as gifts. Only 30 0r 40 more to go.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Tomato with Greens

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love Lockhart stamps. This one is from the Veggie Couture line and I think it is so pretty . It really looks better than the meat dress Lady Gaga wore at the VMA's the other night.

Anyway salads are better for you.

I colored with Copics and I can't tell you what the DP is since I lost my notes from making this card.

Image and mat were cut out with Nestabilities as were the sentiment. Bling is from my stash as was the ribbon.

Hope you like them and thanks for stopping by.

One Layer Beauty

How simple was this card to make? The DP is Memory Box's Enchanted and all I did was trim it to fit 4.25 x 5.5 card base. The DP was too pretty to add anything but a sentiment and that I just cut out with a Nestie tag and matted it on a scrap from the same pad.

No coloring, no scoring, no ribbon and no extra layers. Just elegantly beautiful DP. Gotta love these quick cards.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Autumn Splendor

I have failed again in my quest to not buy new stuff. I made the mistake of going to Ellen Hutson's site when I received a discount coupon and got two new stamps. This one is Autumn Splendor and since it is about to be retired I thought I should get it while I can and it's perfect for this time of year. I have two birthdays this month (as well as my own) for women and I thought this would be a cute one for a granddaughter who is in high school. Think a teen age girl would like a fashion statement?

I had all the info for making these cards written up on a post-it note and set aside carefully and now I can't find it. I know that some of the DP is BasicGrey and I colored with Copics. Image and mat were cut out with Nestabilities and the acorn brad and the leaf eyelet are from my stash. Come back day after tomorrow for my other new stamp. Hope you like them and thanks for stopping by.

Capella Anniversary

When I started making the anniversary cards for my church group I knew that this wedding ring from Inkadinkado would be a good one to use. It is so easy to color since the shading is part of the stamp. All I had to do was pull out my cool grey Copics and color it in for the silver/platinum rings.

The DP is BasicGrey Capella paper pad. The designs in this pad are elegantly beautiful.

I cut the image and the mat out with Nestabilities octagon.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

An Anniversary Fix?

This image from Mo Manning really touches me. I think it is the perfect image for the anniversary cards that I made for my church group. We send cards to couples that have been married 45 yrs or more.

Don't Jack and Ginger look like they have had a long and wonderful life together? And they still hold hands. Yes I know, it's not real, but they represent those couples that have been married a long time.

While coloring this image I goofed when I tried to highlight or rather shadow around the image. While shading around Jack I inadvertently drew color out from his pants. I thought about just throwing it out but decided to trim around the bottom and see how it looked. By mounting it onto the DP from Memory Box's Enchanted

I think it works out ok.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Sneezie,Wheezie, Queezie

This is the last of the stamps I bought at the Novi show. These are Lockhart stamps and when I saw them I just cracked up. With the upcoming flu season I just might need to make more of these get well cards.

I combined some thing new (the stamps) with something old (everything else).

I had this card base sitting in a pile and added the beige edging at the top that I trimmed with EK edge punch Bumpy Road. I colored the image with Copics and cut it and the mat with Nestabilities Deckled Rectangle. I did the same with the sentiment. I didn't like the plain beige edge so I colored a white ribbon to match.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Nestabilities Crosses

I was looking through the Splitcoaststampers gallery for sympathy cards to get some inspiration and came across this card. It really got me inspired. I've had the Nestabilities Cross set for quite some time and I'm not sure I've ever used it. Probably I have but I don't remember.

Any way I'm starting to get together the card assortments that I give at Christmas time to family and friends (6 cards for 20 people). It's a lot of work but I love doing it. The only down side is that many have requested sympathy cards. Well I shouldn't say requested, they strongly hint that the sympathy cards are the most needed.

When I saw Scrapgal2's card it got me going. There are 4 different crosses in the set of different sizes and styles. You can cut all four out of one quarter of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of card stock.

On this card I used the smallest and the largest cross together and added a rhinestone to the center. Before I took the cross out of the Nestie I air brushed it with 3 shades of Copics E55, E35 and E57. The sentiment is Papertrey's Communique Curves. The first white layer was embossed using Cuttlebug's Distressed Stripes folder and the mat was cut with Nestabilities Labels Nine.

I'm trying to do sympathy cards that express the sentiment without being depressing. Adding just a bit of color helps, at least I think so. What do you think? Thanks for stopping by.

Wicker Chair

One of the design sets at Lockhart Stamps are these wonderful chairs. This Wicker Chair is the fourth one I've gotten. The sentiment is also Lockhart. Doesn't this chair just invite you to come sit down and relax. I recently sent my sister a card using the other three chairs in celebration of her retirement from teaching and the knowledge that the first day of school can come and go without her having to be involved. Whoohoo ! (you can see tha card here)

Anyway I colored with Copics and cut it out with Octagon Nestabilites (the mat also of course) and found this scrap of orange card stock for the mat. I really hesitated about the mat color but it matches a color in the bottom DP from the Basic Grey Green at Heart paper pad. The ribbon is a part of a freebie I recieved from Ellen Hutson with my order.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Introducing Kellen Paul

Today is a good news day. I'm now a great Aunt. My nephew Steve and his beautiful wife had a even more beautiful baby boy today. This photo says it all. I won't get to see the newest member of the family for 3 weeks, but I can look at these photos any time I want.

I'm not posting a photo of the mom with baby since I'm not sure how Michelle would feel about it (12 hours of labor can make a girl 'glow' more than she wants). You can see just a tiny bit of her and that's enough.

Mom, baby and Dad are doing fine and my sister and bro-in-law are over the moon with happiness. Steve's sister and brother and my other 3 sisters are all anxious to hold Kellen. Oh wait Aunt Cati has already had the pleasure. Lucky girl.

Thanks for listening to my ramble.

Lockhart Geraniums

When I saw this image from Lockhart Stamps, I had to have it, geraniums are my favorite flower and I always plant them in my garden (unfortunately I kill them off also). This way I can color them up and send them off to friends.

I stamped on Beckett Expression Radiance and colored with Copics and cut it and the mat out with my Deckled rectangle Nestabilities. The DP is K&Company Ancestry mat pad, it is designed for mounting 4x6 photos but works perfectly for cards.

Again I added a ribbon and an air brushed flower with a flat back pearl center. The card base is Beckett Expression in a very soft green (not sure of the name).

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Rosebud Gown

I've said before that one of the things I love about Lockhart stamps is the whimsical nature of some of the stamps. This Rosebud Gown from the Le Fleur collection is an example. It really takes an artist to see the possibilities of flowers, vegetables and other foods as clothing. You can check it out here.

I recently received this stamp that I ordered from Ellen Hutson and finally had a chance to play with it (there are two other stamps that I'll be showing over the next couple of days).

I stamped this on Beckett Expressions Radiance and colored with Copics then air brushed some pale blue around the edge.. I cut it and the mat out with Labels 4 Nestabilities. The DP is from Cosmo Cricket DeLovely.

I added the ribbon and air brushed a couple wedding flowers from Michael's and put a pale green rhinestone in the center.

Groovin' to Elvis

Well Elvis doesn't really have anything to do with this card except that I was listening to him while making this card. If you have XM Radio and like Elvis turn to channel 18 and rock out.

While I was putting papers together the other night I put these together and then used them with the UP, Up & Away set from Papertrey. The DP is from Basic Grey's Green at Heart paper pad. the background looks like a field of flowers that the balloons are floating over. When I ordered the set I also ordered the die for the balloons, I already had the cloud die and have used that before. I have to say again that I think it's genius to co-ordinate dies to images in the sets.. I thought about adding a ribbon to this and then thought what would be the purpose? Oh well I like it, what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by.

Black and Creme

When I find DP that I really like it's hard for me to put anything over top of it. That is why I like making cards like this.

Just reusing the same paper over and over reinforces the beauty of the paper. Of course it doesn't always work but I think on this card it does. I was really stumped about what to put in the center when I remembered these flowers that have been sitting in a drawer forever.

I just put two of them together with a glue dot and added a flat back pearl to the center. The black ribbon was a last minute thought and the little pearls finish it nicely don't you think?

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

A Birthday Bird

This is another of the cards I made using stickers for K&Company. These bird stickers are really very pretty and when I saw them on sale at JoAnn's they just hopped into my basket and who am I to turn them down???

Anyway I had these card bases made up already so I just added the green, which is the reverse side of the card base DP and added the sticker. The space was the perfect spot for adding the sentiment.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

A Turkey Wall Hanging

I had this last base for a wall hanging sitting on my desk and it was grumbling about being left out. So I decided to make a Thanksgiving wall hanging with it. I also decided to enter in the Stamp Simply challenge #155, which is to incorporate fall leaves in your card or project.

I used the Gobble, Gobble set from Papertrey for this one. I used the die to cut out some kraft and DP turkeys. I used the two sets of kraft feathers as a backdrop for my sentiment. The sentiment is part of the set and I stamped it Memento Rich Cocoa and cut it out with an oval Nestabilities. The pomegranate layer makes a nice layer for the focal images and the copper foil leaf border fits nicely across the top. The ribbon I used for the hanger is a freebie I received with an order from Ellen Hutson.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

A Lacey Bird

It was my intention to work on anniversary cards yesterday and so while I was waiting for Eddie to finish up his late night duties patrolling the back yard I sorted through DP and scraps. The idea was to arrange papers that could be used together for cards. It worked out pretty well except for one thing I did not make even one anniversary card. Instead I started pulling out embellishments and came across these stickers from K&Company. I had picked them up several months ago on sale at JoAnn's and stuck them in the drawer.

Well they ended up being made into cards using the papers set aside for anniversary cards. The mat paper used for the bird is the reverse of the card base DP (card base is kraft) that I cut out with my square scalloped Nestabilities. I had the lace laying on the table and put down the wider one and didn't like it so I added the narrow brown ribbon, still didn't like it and added the narrow lace and finally was satisfied. I just added the little beehive sticker on the left end for a little something extra.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Gobble, Gobble

My first Card Ministry meeting of the fall is coming up soon and I needed to get going on the cards needed. Since I had just received my order from Papertrey, Thanksgiving was the way to go. I had ordered the Gobble, Gobble set along with the co-ordinating die and what a fun set this is.

Doing a production line set of cards is so easy with these sets.

I decided to use kraft as my card base and for the turkeys. I used the die to cut out the bird and feathers then used the stamps and Memento Tear Drop pads to color them. Talk about easy, wow.

I had this DCWV Thanksgiving paper in my stash so I just needed another DP and some ribbon to finish them off with. After I had them all assembled I decided to add the border stamp, on the left side set I curved the stamp on my block and stamped around the turkey, on the right side set I just stamped below the focal image.

It took me longer to photograph the cards than it did to make them.

Hope you like them and thanks for stopping by.