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

Happy 74th Tabitha

I haven't sent my friend a birthday card for the past couple of years and I'm determined to get this card to her this year.  I made a card for her last year and the year before and was not pleased with it.  I do hope I got her age correct.  If I didn't, she may no longer consider me her friend.

Happy Birthday, Tabitha!!!

Swirling Butterflies

I am finally getting a chance to post a card I made the other day for the SUO154 - Delightful Dies challenge.  

Dies:  Rose Garden Thinlits Die; Florish Thinlits Dies
Punches:  Bitty Butterfly; Elegant Butterfly
Paper:  Very Vanilla; Basic Black; Basic Gray; Flirty Flamingo; Timeless Elegance DSP

My card base is 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored in half at 4 1/4".  I cut 2 1/8" from the right side of the front of the card.  I watched France Martin's YouTube Video for instructions on the Fun Frame that I attached to the half-front (easier to see the half-front panel in the second and third blog photos).

I used the Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Write marker to color the flowers on the Timeless Elegance DSP.

     

Beautiful Bunch of Flowers

I am really rushing trying to complete the TCTC6 challenge before it closes.  I've been busy this week getting my craft room back in order after receiving paper holders from Stamp-n-Storage. They were a bit expensive but worth it; I am now able to find the card stock I need pretty quickly.

To make this card I used SC578, a sketch challenge  from Splitcoaststampers.  I used Whisper White card stock as my card base with Blackberry Bliss panels.  I stamped the flowers using the Beautiful Bunch stamp set in Perfect Plum and Rich Razzleberry. I stamped the butterfly using Papillon Potpourri stamp set with Perfect Plum.  The centers of the two Rich Razzleberry flowers were stamped with Perfect Plum and cut out and layered on top.  The center of the Perfect Plum flower was stamped with Rich Razzleberry and cut out and layered on top.  I dry embossed each of the Blackberry Bliss panels with Textured Impressions Embossing Folders.

Stamp Sets:  Beautiful Bunch, Papillon Potpourri
Inks:  Blackberry Bliss, Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry
Card Stock:  Blackberry Bliss, Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
TIEF: Deorative Dots, Fluttering, Lovely Lacy Fancy Fan (Retired)
Banners Thinlits
Elegant Butterly Punch

My Splitcoaststampers 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

Birthday Wishes to my Hubby

This is the front of the birthday card I made for my husband using retired Stampin' Up! DSP.  I have a ton of DSP that I've been hoarding for years and I have resolved to make use of it this year.

I wanted to make a card with a different type of fold and he got a kick out of opening up this card.

I once saw this fold demonstrated on the Carol Duvall Show when she was on the DIY and/or HGTV channel.  I loved those crafting shows and was sad to see them taken away one-by-one.  I found directions for this fold again on Karen Burniston's YouTube channel. 

I used a combination of Stampin' Up! DSP and stamps (Another Great Year, Big Day) and Tim Holtz's Dies to decorate this card.

Perpetual Birthday Calendar

 Birthdays have a way of sneaking up on me and I am usually 'last minute' making cards for friends and family.  I decided to make a Perpetual Birthday Calendar to keep on an easel near my desk in my craft room so that I can keep track more closely.  This calendar is double-sided... six months on the front and six months on the back.  The total overall size of it is 8" x 10" and I can easily frame it and hang it on the wall if I need to.  I'll just have to flip it over at the end of each six months. I made this calendar using the same colors and card stock that I used in my previous post. 

*Stamps:  Notes & Details, Best of Flowers, Gorgeous Grunge, Blooming with Kindness, Bliss (Sale-A-Bration), Full Calendar (SU! Retired)

*Inks: Early Espresso, Soft Suedes, Crumb Cake Blendabilities

*Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso

Thanks So Much

Sneak Peak of Front and Back

Catching up on my Blog Posts:

SCS Challenges:
Wednesday's Pop-Up Diorama Card
Wednesday's Sketch Challenge: SC524
Ways to Use it - Ovals: WT515
New Technique - Triple the Possibilities: TLC517

Stamps & Accessories (Stampin' Up! Only:
Image Stamps: Papillon Potpourri
Sentiments: For Your Country, Blooming with Kindness

Papers:
Whisper White Card Stock; Paisley Petals DSP
Inks: Tangerine Tango, Memento Tuxedo Black

Punch/Framelits:
Ovals Collection;2" Punch
Butterfly Punch

Front View

Front

Inside of Card

Birthday Greetings

Due to personal tragedies, I have been out of my craft room for the past few months. The worst tragedy was the death of our beautiful daughter...  DH and I are still in disbelief. She had just returned from Afghanistan this past November.

I finally decided to get back to work in my craft room to occupy my mind with things that I love doing.  She always loved getting cards from me.  Now I will craft with her in mind.

My project on my first day back is for today's SCS color challenge and this is a card that I have been wanting to CASE for quite a while; I admire any and all cards made by Karen Barber (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...p;thumbsonly=0).  I changed mine up a bit and cut around the flowers so that I could tuck the sentiment under.

Stamps are by Stampin' Up!: Simply Sketched (Hostess); Wetlands; Delightful Dozen (Inside Verse)
Card Stock: Garden Green, Crushed Curry, Elegant Eggplant
Ink:  Garden Green, Crushed Curry, Elegant Eggplant 

Enjoy your birthday card, Sharon... It's on its way to you.  

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

Happy Birthday Mother

This is a card I made for my mother and mailed to her in celebration of her 94th birthday this month (she turned 94 on Wednesday, March 19th).  We will have the large family gathering on Sunday at her home and I plan to make another card for that occasion.

Sunday will be both a celebration of her birthday and a time when we will reflect on the life of my brother who passed away last month.  We are all still mourning his loss but our plan is to share our memories of him in an effort to bring smiles to the faces of our mother and our sister-in-law.

I CASE'd this card from Karen Barber's gallery.  I am a huge fan of hers and admire each and every card she makes.  Her card can be found Here.

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

For You

Today is my husband's birthday and this card/money holder is for him.  My plans are to prepare a nice breakfast for him, then treat him to lunch/dinner at a really nice restaurant later today.  Our daughters are banding together to treat him to some type of  'Biggie Surprise' tomorrow.  They won't give me a clue as to what they have up their sleeves.  I can't wait to see what they have planned for him.

This project is also for the SCS WT460 Challenge... Crafty Goals 2014.  One of  my goals  is to make at least one project per week and my husband's birthday gave me the incentive for week one... one down, 53 to go.

Chalk Talk Stampset & Framelit Die
Inks: StazOn Black, Always Artichoke, VersaMark
Card Stock: Always Arichoke, Naturals Ivory
TIEF: Square Lattice, Fancy Fan
Ribbon: Always Artichoke Seam Binding

Imagine

This SCS Creative Crew Challenge was to copy someone's artwork who loves brads or candy dots; we are to use candy dots generously on our projects.  I CASE'd Jan Tink's 'Papillon Potpourri meets Hello Lovely & World Map' found here.

Stamps:  Papillon Potpourri; Loving Thoughts, Very Vintage Wheel
Punches: Bitty Butterfly; Elegant Butterfly
DSP: Modern Medley
Card Stock: Very Vanilla; Basic Black
Neutrals Candy Dots; VersaMark Ink; Black Embossing Powder

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

Hope

This is the second of two Get Well Cards that I am submitting for CC435 and SUO Challenge #74.  Click Here for more information on the other card.

I did not add as many embellishments to this card as I did on the Hidden Butterflies card.  I added the SU! Designer Clips to the sides of the stamped and cut-out image from the 'Everything Eleanor' stamp set. I decided not to add ribbon and butterflies to this card but I did tuck butterfly wings under each side of the circle punch with the 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.

Happiest Birthday

SUO Challenge #74 – Favorite Stampin’ Up! Accessories.  
SCS challenge, WT435 (It's Not Hard to Use) I added six brads as my hardware on this card.

There are so many Stampin' Up! products that I love; it was really hard for me to make a decision as to which accessory was my favorite since it constantly changes. I needed to make a birthday card for a friend of mine and decided to start out with one of my favorite stamp sets, Apothecary Art.  One of the things I love about it is that it includes a birthday greeting and had an accompanying die in the Framelits Labels Collections.

I stamped the image on card stock vellum (another of my favorite accessories) and colored the flowers and leaves on the back of the vellum with Stampin' Write markers. Since I wanted a 'Window' effect over this image, I double-stacked my Stampin' Dimensionals on my panel before layering it over my vellum image to give added height. I stamped the butterflies with VersaMark ink, embossed with white detailed embossing powder, colored the backs of the butterflies with the Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Write marker, then punched them out. I added a half-back pearl to the center of three Boho Blossom punched flowers, then added a flower to the back of each butterfly with a glue dot.

Stamps: Papillon Potpourri , Apothecary Art

Card Stock: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Vellum

DSP: Sycamore Street

Inks:  Black StazOn, VersaMark

Stampin' Write Markers: Rich Razzleberry, Wild Wasabi 

White Detailed Embossing Powder

Stampin' Dimensionals

Brads (Brights Collection 3/16")

Embossing Folders: Petals-a-Plenty, Textured Impressions

Dies: Adorning Accents Edgelits, Framelits Labels Collections

Punches: Bitty Butterfly, Elegant Butterfly, Boho Blossoms

Adhesives: Glue Dots, Snail

Since retirement, my friend and only I keep in touch with each other via birthday and Christmas cards with an added 'catch-up' letter included.  I do hope she likes her card.

Happiest Birthday

Welcome, Spring

Since I was in a stamping mood, I completed these two cards that I started on two weeks ago.