Cards for LFBC Members

As hubby and I are safely sheltered in, I’m using part of my time to make cards for church members on his list of church members he calls to check on.  Words cannot express the helplessness we feel about this situation.  I hope that these cards will bring a ray of hope and sunshine to the recipients.

Stamps: Front Sentiment: Very Versailles, fussy cut butterfly from Butterfly Wishes
Ink & Ribbon: Elegant Eggplant
Lace 3D Embossing Folder

Inside of cards:
Sentiment: Artistically Asian
Image: Dandelion Wishes

Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Elegant Eggplant
Ink and Ribbon: Elegant Eggplant





Cards for:

You’ve Got This

Last year, I attended the Heirloom Rubber Stamps & Paper Arts Festival in Lawrenceville, GA,  a festival that I look forward to attending each year.  I purchased a ‘Bird’ stamp last year but never used it.  At the festival this year, I saw a couple of samples on display in the ‘Sweet ‘n’ Sassy booth using the same bird stamp that I own so I purchased the sentiment stamp that was used with the bird sample card on display.  I believe the bird stamp that I purchased last year was from Impression Obsession Inc.

One of my friends (and Bible Study buddies) was scheduled for a

heart catheterization this morning and when she informed me last week of her upcoming procedure, I knew I just had to make this card for her because one of the sentiments went perfectly with the card I wanted to make her.  She texted me after the procedure was over to tell me that all went well ... no blockage.

Other supplies used are Stampin’ Up! products:
Stampin’ Up! Dimensionals
Stamps: Around the Corner, Positive Thoughts, You’ve Got This
Baker’s Twine: Pool Party
Inks: Crumb Cake, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, and Tuxedo Black Memento
Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Pool Party, Whisper White

Peaceful Place Sympathy Cards

Sympathy cards are one of life’s necessities.  I really should make a bunch and have them ready when the need arises but I prefer making cards of celebration.  This card is for one of the members of our church.  His nephew’s wife passed away suddenly a few days ago and hubby and I are hoping this card will cheer him up by letting him know we are thinking of and praying for him.

This just in ... I’m going to have to make another sympathy card.  The Drummer for the choir that I direct at our local senior center passed away and I need to send our condolences to his family.  When it rains, it pours.

Stamps:  Peaceful Place (Image); Flowing Fountain (Sentiment)
Inks:  Old Olive, Marina Mist, Pool Party, Soft Suede; Crumb Cake
Card Stock:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Marina Mist
Technique:  Sponging
For: Jessie (death of niece); Dave (LWSC Choir Drummer)

Inside sentiment is not from Stampin’ Up!  It’s a sentiment stamp that I purchased from Hobby Lobby years ago and I love the message that it conveys.

I added the bow on the left side because it looked like it needed something else.  I didn’t want to add ribbons, buttons, rhinestones, or gems because I wanted it to have more of a non-gender appearance since this card is for a guy.

Miracles Happen

I started making a card for my young cousin yesterday but was not pleased with it.  When I saw that Today's SCS Ways to Use It Challenge (WT573) is to use a pet, I knew this was the direction in which I would go to make a card for him.  He has an incurable illness and he has been depressed since his last hospitalization... He has been hospitalized so much during his young life.  I wanted to remind him of the importance of today.

I don't have any pets other than the ones in my Craft Room and I've had this particular stamp set for years and, until today, it has never seen ink.  This card is also for the WT565 Lose Weight Feel Great challenge (Retired DSP).  The card sketch is SC582 Sketch Challenge from Splitcoaststampers.

I hope the sentiments that I stamped inside will be an encouragement to him. I wrote a personal message

inside but I covered it with the envelope.  At the end of the message I stamped 'Miracles Happen' from the Bloomin' Marvelous stamp set because I pray that God will bless us with a miraculous cure for Sicle Cell one day.

Card Recipe:  All supplies are from Stampin' Up
Inks:  StazOn Black, Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Certainly Celery, More Mustard, Riding Hood Red, Island Indigo
Papers: Fan Fare DSP; Very Vanilla, Basic Gray, and Island Indigo card stock
Stamps:  Summer Afternoon; Vintage Vogue; Word Play; Bloomin' Marvelous

My SCS Gallery

Pleats, Pleats, & More Pleats

Today's tutorial gives directions on making a Pleated Skirt card.  It was so easy that I made several much-needed cards.

I've got a lot of DSP that I've hoarded over the years and one of the SCS challenges from earlier this year is to Lose Weight Feel Great ... I'm losing weight by using up some of my old DSP.  I've also not used this Apothecary Art stamp set in quite a while.

SUOC141 - Happy Birthday is to make a Birthday Card. I hope this qualifies because one of my cards is a birthday card.  This card can really be used for any occasion.

Love my butterflies (Papillon Potpourri)

My Splitcoaststampers Gallery

Score This - Pyramid Card

The Stampin' Up! Creative Crew's challenge is a Catalog Focus: scoring tools.  Use all or one of these scoring tools--Simply Scored Tool, Simply Scored Borders Plate and/or Simply Scored Diagonal Plate to add interest to a gatefold card. 

For my project, I made this Pyramid Card.  The interesting thing about this project is that you can make it as large or as small as you want as long as you start with 2 square pieces of card stock.

The card unfolds so that it can be inserted into an A2 envelope if you use 4" x 4" squares.  I used magnets to hold my piramid card together.

Embossing Folders: Square Lattice, Fancy Fan.
Stamps: Loving Thoughts, flower Shop, Blooming With Kindness
Punches: Label Bracket, Pansy
Dies: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die

Swirling Butterfly Sympathy

Sympathy cards are ones we don't really want to need but they are necessary.  I am always caught off guard and, as a result, ending up making one at the last minute.  I really love this stamp set from Stampin' Up! because it makes a quick and easy card with minimal coloring.  It's been a while since I've used the Center Step Fold method and this stamp set seems perfect for it.  This is for one of the ladies in our church choir who recently lost a family member.

This is the outside of the card.  Below is a view of what the card looks like inside.  The image is colored with Island Indigo and Pear Pizzazz markers and the sentiment is stamped in StazOn Black.  I stamped the butterflies in VersaMark ink then embossed in white detailed embossing powder.  I used the Honeycomb embossing folder also.  Card stock: Very Vanilla and Island Indigo.

Get Well Soon

This card is not for a challenge... sometimes I like making cards just to use my supplies.  I purchased this stamp (Summer Afternoon) from Stampin' Up! and it retired before I used it... matter of fact, this is the first time I've used it.  This is also the first time I've inked up my 'En Francais' stamp and it was one of my 'Had-to-Have' stamps.

I've got so many more 'retired' stamp sets that I've purchased and never used.  I've also got packs and packs of retired, unopened DSP.  My mission this year is to use those 'retired' stamps and that 'retired' DSP on projects and cards so that I can free up space in my craft room for current products.

This is today's project using some of those unused products... a card using the old (retired) and the new/current.  One of the members of our weekly Noonday Bible Study group was hospitalized last week and I've made this card to send to him.

Stamps: En Francais, Summer Afternoon
Inks: Marina Mist, VersaMark. pear Pizzaz, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron, White Gel Pin
Other products: White Embossing Powder, Black Embossing Powder, Sizzix Thinlits, Candy Dots, Piercing Pack

Just For You

This is my second submission for the Creative Crew September Challenge - Catalog Focus: use any of the stamp sets on pages 111-119 in the annual catalog.  Make a project in a new way to you by using a technique you've never tried or a special fold never used by you before. Continue to use at least two of the colors from the color focus, crushed curry, coastal cabana, smoky slate or whisper white.

Supplies:
DSP: Eastern Elegance,
Card Stock: Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate, Whisper White
Inks:  Coastal Cabana and Smoky Slate Stampin’ Write Markers
Paper Piercing Pack (Festive), Sticky Strip, Half-back Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals
Elegant Butterfly Punch, Word Window Punch, Framelits Labels Collection, Big Shot Machine
Stamp Sets: Beautifully Baroque, Papillon Potpourri, Label Love
Simply Scored Scoring Tool & Stylus, Bone Folder

Just For You:  The Carol Duvall Show was a crafting show that I looked forward to watching a few years back and was sad to see it cancelled.  One of her guests made a ‘Flag’ Album as a closing gift to Carol on her very last show.  I loved this album and was happy to see the instructions in the SCS Resources section (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/mini_album/).  I was really amazed at how easily it came together.  I plan to add pictures and journaling of my little grand and give it to our daughter & SIL (her parents) as one of their stocking stuffers this Christmas.

Good Thoughts

Just got my new Thinlits Label Dies from Stampin' Up! Using them was like cutting butter; I can't wait to order the other set. This card was made using SUO products (of course).  I am entering it into the "Just Add Ink" JAI#177 Colour Challenge: Smoky Slate, Soft Sky,  Calypso Coral.  Stamps: Too Kind; Nature Walk; Embossing Folder: Lacy Brocade. I also used a tiny brad from the Subtles collection.

To participate in this challenge, jump on over: http://just-add-ink.blogspot.com/

Just For You

I have not decided who I will send this card to.  I have made quite a few sympathy cards lately and it feels good to make a card without having a reason to... other than to enter a challenge (SUO; CC437; SC447, WT437).

I used today's sketch challenge (SC447), last Thursday's 'Ways to Use It' challenge (WT437), and Tuesday's color challenge (Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush, and Pistachio Pudding).  The dessert was to make your own DSP (CC437).  Here are the steps I took to make my DSP:

• Stamped the flower from the 'Mixed Bunch' set on Whisper White card stock in VersaMark Ink.
• Embossed with clear embossing powder.
• Sponged over sections using Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush, and Pistachio Pudding.

Products (All Products are from Stampin' Up!)(SUO)

• Embossing Folders: Square Lattice, Lacy Brocade
• Stamps: Mixed Bunch (Flower); Just Believe (Sentiment)
• Card Stock: Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White (to make DSP)
• Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, VersaMark
• Punch: Word Window; Blossom
• Antique Brads
• Ribbon: Whisper White dyed with Strawberry Slush dye ink pad

Hidden Butterflies

This is the first of two Get Well Cards that I am submitting for CC435 and SUO Challenge #74; the cards are very similar in nature because I doubled up on the embellishments as I stamped, water-colored, punched, and cut out the images.

SUO Challenge #74 was to make a Get Well card. CC435 (SCS) Challenge was to use Wisteria Wonder, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe,  Very Vanilla (Neutral), then add a pin or clip as a dessert option. I didn't have any pins so I used SU! designer clips. 

These cards are for sick friends.  I've sent ''Get Well' cards to both friends before but they are still 'under the weather' ... I want them to know that I am still thinking of them. I stamped 'Hope' in the bottom right corner as a reminder that there is always hope, regardless of the situation at-hand. 

It's hard for me to make a card that does not include ribbons and/or butterflies so I tucked both in on this card. You may have to look closely to find the butterflies because I used the same colors on them as on the flowers. I even tucked butterfly wings on each side of the oval with the sentiment.  I used the oval scallop punch and a SU! designer clip as the top left corner treatment; I knotted a piece of Very Vanilla ribbon and added it to the bottom right corner above the 'Hope' sentiment. 

Stamp Sets: Everything Eleanor; Silhouette Sentiments, With Gratitude, Papillon Potpourri 

Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla
Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla (Neutral)
Accessories: SU! Designer Clip, Half-Back Pearls (Large & Small), Scallop Punch, Circle Punches, Very Vanilla Ribbon, Butterfly Punch.

Fluttering By

This is not only the last day of March... it is my birthday also... Happy Birthday to Me. I wanted to start out my new year doing something I have not done in a while... making a card. I was inspired by an entry on SCS and here is my take on the FS card.

All supplies are from Stampin' Up!

Card Stock:
Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Naturals Ivory

Stamps:
Decorate a Daisy, Swallowtail

Punches:
Scallop Trim Border
Scallop Trim Corner
Dotted Scallop Ribbon
1" Circle
1 1/4" Circle

Embossing Folder:
Lacy Brocade

Thoughts of You

Our daughter is about to be deployed to Saudi Arabia. DH and I are truly sad that she will be so far away and in harm's way for months and it's really heartbreaking knowing that we will not be able to see her before she deploys. We decided to send her a little something to let her know that we are thinking about her. I used this set to make her card because I think it is one of the most versatile stamp sets from SU.

Card Stock: Whisper White; Pacific Point; Old Olive Inks: Pacific Point, Old Olive Accessories: Bigz Scallop Envelope Die; Whisper White Ribbon; Framelits Labels Collection; Dimensionals Stamp Sets: Because I care; Yummy; Field Flowers; Whimsical Words

HOPE

I love when things line up. My Pastor's message this morning was on 'Hope'... Our hope in God. God has given us a living hope (1 John 1:3)... this hope gives us patience (Romans 8:24-26)... God's love is the grounds (foundation) of that hope. SCS New Technique Challenge is 'Reverse Masking'. I pulled out my "Strength & Hope" stamp set this morning before going to church and started working on this card. On the way home from church it dawned on me that my Pastor's message and the card I was working on lined up.

After seeing the technique challenge I knew I had to complete this card tonight.

I used one of my spellbinder rectangle dies to create the mask for the base card and used one of the smaller rectangles to create the popped-up image. I couldn't make up my mind whether to distress the perimeter of the card or not so I made two... one with and one without. Then I decided to make a third one and added a butterfly.

All three stamp images are from the "Strength & Hope" stamp set from Stampin' Up!. Ink: Crumb Cake & Soft Suede. Card Stock: Very Vanilla. Ribbon: Soft Suede (Retired, SU!).

Thinking of You

I am always at a loss when it comes to making masculine cards. When I saw Tuesday's color challenge, and today's sketch challenge, I decided to combine the two to make this masculine card... no ribbons, no bows, no butterflies.

Stamps: Four Frames (bird); Inspired by Nature
Inks: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, White Gel Pen
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Old Olive DSP

From the Heart

Today's SCS Technique Challenge was to decorate an envelope for a card you've made. I started this card a while back and needed the incentive to complete it. I embossed the flap and edged the envelope with the Flourish from SU!'s Elements of Style.

This is the card that I have finally finished.

All products are Stampin' Up!
Very Vanilla & Night of Navy Card Stock
Night of Navy Ink

WT318 Hey People

This is my card for the Ways to Use It Challenge on Splitcoaststampers. These little girls remind me of my daughters when they were about this age.

Thoughts of You

My submission for today's Featured Stamper over on SCS. This is the front of my card. Here is a link to my SCS Gallery if you would like to take a peek: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...p;ppuser=84546.

Here is the inside of my card. Stamps: Just Believe & Whimsical Words. Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler & Very Vanilla. Embossing Folder: Framed Tulip. Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler. Embosslits Beautiful Wings. Products: Stampin' Up!

Because I Care

I let this stamp set sit on my shelf for months and now, after using it, I just can't seem to get enough of it. This is my submission for the 'FS188 die cut diva' challenge. Here is a link to her card: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1595825?&cat=500&ppuser=114382Here.

Here is a link to my SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=84546