With Sympathy

 I made this Sympathy card for my sister last night because her best friend passed away yesterday.  I saw a very elegant card demonstrated by Susan Campfield and cased it because it is not only elegant but also quick and easy.  I added an extra layer and some gemstones and, since  I still have SU Blendabilities I used the light, medium, and dark cherry cobbler Blendabilities as my accent color.

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

A Field of Flowers

Another entry for the Just Add Ink Challenge to Just Add Nature.  I made a card for this challenge a few days ago using this same flower stamp using Stampin' Up!'s 'You've Got This'.  Since I was up in the air over whether I wanted to add a dragonfly or butterflies, I decided I needed butterflies with all these flowers.



Visit My Splitcoaststampers Gallery

On the Fringe

I am so glad to have time to play along with this very first Color Tree Challenge.  I thought it would be easy-peasy until I sat down in my craft room getting ready to craft ... My mind went blank.  I was in need of inspiration to start this project and found it on page 5 of the current Stampin' Up! Catalog.

The base of my card is 'Early Espresso' topped with a layer of 'Very Vanilla'.  I used my Stampin' Up! Fringe Scissors to fringe the So Saffron, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, and Perfect Plum layers.  The image panel is 'So Saffron' embossed with the Stampin' Up! Butterfly Textured Embossing Folder.  I stamped the flowers using the 'Remarkable You' stamp set onto 'Very Vanilla' card stock and fussy-cut them out and popped them up using 'Dimensionals'.  I colored the stamens in the flowers with 'Early Espresso' ink. I stamped the butterfly from the 'Butterfly Basics' stamp set onto 'So Saffron' card stock using 'Perfect Plum' ink.  The 'Venetian Crochet Trim' is topped by a bow made with 'Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon'. 

Here is an image of The Color Tree listing the colors for this challenge (Perfect Plum, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, and Early Espresso).  So glad Perfect Plum was on the list because I was not aware of how low my supply was ... adding it to my next Stampin' Up! order.

I would love to add The Color Tree Badge to my blog but, for some reason, the link does not appear when I click the badge.  Nevertheless, I am looking forward to more of these challenges in the future.

Happy Mother's Day

Card Front and Envelope

My Mother was admitted to the hospital a few days after the big finale of her 95th birthday celebration.  After her health improved, she was released to rehab.  Great news... she goes home tomorrow and she gets to spend Mother's Day in the comfort of her own home... there's no place like home.

The latest SUO Challenge #121 is to make a Mother's Day card or project; this card is for my mother.  After the new SU! catalog was revealed on line, I fell in love with a card pictured on page 26 ... I CASE'd it but  used my Honeycomb EF. Other SCS challenges for this card: WT530, SUO, WT528 Inside and Out. 
All products are from Stampin' Up!

Inside of Card

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers, Butterfly Basics, Sweet Laughter, a Delightful Dozen

Card Stock:  Pool Party, Whisper White

Other Products:  Basic Jewels, White Detailed Embossing Powder, Honeycomb EF

Ink: StazOn Black Ink, VersaMark

Dies: Ovals Framelits, Butterfly Basics Die

Another View

Butterfly Wishes

I spent the day making cards in my craft room and decided my final card of the day would be for the SCS Featured Stamper Gallery.  I wanted to use some of my new supplies and I wanted to use the Emboss Resist Technique on my card.

Stamps: Indescribable Gift, Butterfly Basics
Inks: Tangelo Twist, Mossy Meadow, Daffodil Delight, VersaMark

Congrats!

I'm usually a few days or a few weeks late making cards for SCS challenges.  I wanted to use some of my new stuff so I used some of the new DSP and inked up one of my new stamps for the Ways to Use It challenge (WT512). I also used Wednesday's Sketch Challenge (SC526), and Tuesday's Color Challenge (CC516).  The color challenge was to use Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, and Melon Mambo; the Dessert option was to use Vellum.  

I stamped the butterflies on vellum in VersaMark ink and heat embossed them using white embossing powder. I colored the backs of the butterflies with the darkest of the Melon Mambo blendabilities.

The poppies were stamped Whisper Whitehite card stock, fussy-cut, then colored with Pink Pirouette and Melon Mambo Blendabilities. The Edgelits die was used to give interest to the side of my strip.

I sponged Melon Mambo and Pink Pirouette onto the Irresistibly Yours DSP before attaching it to my card front.  

Supplies (all supplies are from Stampin' Up!):
Card Stock: Vellum, Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Irresistibly Yours DSP
Stamps: Simply Wonderful (Sale-A-Bration), Papillon Potpourri, Pleasant Poppies
Inks: Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, VersaMark
Other Supplies: Basic Jewels; Edgelits Die, Stampin' Blendabilities, White Embossing Powder,

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.

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

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.

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.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day.


This is my Mother's Day card for my Mother. She turned 93 this past March and we are so blessed to still have her with us. As I dressed for church this morning, I found myself wishing I had a red rose to wear. As a child growing up, my mother made sure each of her children wore a red rose on Mother's Day to signify life (if your mother was still alive, you wore a red rose, if your mother had passed on, you wore a white rose). She always wore a white rose since her mother passed away when she and her brothers were small children.


I needed a small container to place her gift in and made this Pillow Box. I wanted to coordinate it with her card so I used the color-washing technique on it after die-cutting it. I used one of the other framelits from the Secret Garden Framelets set and cut several flowers from SU! paper vellum and attached it to the front of the box.

Here are the two together


All supplies are from Stampin' Up!

Cardstock:Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Cardstock Vellum, Paper Vellum
Ink: Whisper White Pigment Ink, Midnight Muse Classic Ink, Signo Gel Pen
Embossing Folders: Finial Press, Square Lattice
Stamp Sets: Secret Garden, Field Flowers (Sentiment)
Other: Secret Garden Framelets, Stampin' Dimensionals, Half-Back Pears; Very Vanilla 5/8" Ribbon

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