Flag Card for Ivan

Card Base:  5 1/2" x 10"
Score at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
3 Flag Bases: 3 15/16" x 1 7/8"

Card Stock:
Dusty Durango (Retired Stampin' Up!), Whisper White, Basic Black

Inks:
So Saffron, Perfect Plum, Dusty Durango (Retired Stampin' Up!), Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Basic Gray

Stamps:
Hardwood, Wetlands, Just Believe, Floral Phrases, Flourishing Phrases, High Tide, Picture Perfect

Thursday's SCS Ways to Use It Challenge - Celebrate Earth Day.  This challenge gave me the opportunity to create a masculine Thank You card for a friend.  Hope he enjoys it.

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

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

Stamps Galore

Card Collapsed

I'm loving last week's Color Challenge:  CC541 Rose Red, Mint Macaron, and Tip Top Taupe.  I used it to make another card for today's Technique Challenge TLC545 Fussy Cutting.  I pulled out quite a few stamps to make this card some of which, before today, had never been inked up.

Stamp Sets:
Gorgeous Grunge
Butterfly Basics
You've Got This
Best Thoughts
Best of Butterflies
Wetlands
Express Yourself

Partially Opened

Inks:
Rose Red
Mint Macaron
Tip Top Taupe
Black StazOn
White Gel Pen

Fully Opened

A Pictorial Tutorial:

4 1/4"x2 3/4"; 11 1/2"x5 1/2"

Score at 1/4"; 3 3/4", 7 1/4"

 

Cut away 5/8" at top left on first 2 panels

A closer look at cutting away 5/8" in picture #3

After 5/8" cut away

Fold on score lines using bone folder

Cut away small tab on top left side

After tab cut off. 4 1/4" x 2 3/4 panel from  picture #1 will be attached here.

Attach 4 1/4"x2 3/4" panel from first photo to the 1/4" strip

Decorated card & template of card

Thanks So Much

Front of Card

Inside of Card

I've never tried the Chalkboard Marker Magic Technique before.  I don't have many solid image stamps but after trying this technique, I'll probably add more to my collection. 

Cardstock: Calypso Coral, Old Olive, Basic Black
Blendabilities: Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, and Old Olive

VersaMark Ink and White Embossing Powder

Calypso Coral Ribbon

Butterfly Basics Die (Inside of Card)

Stamps:Oh, Hello; En Francais; Serene Silhouettes

Spring Forward

Today is National Daughter's Day and I really miss my eldest.  Spring is just around the corner and I had her in mind as I made this card.  When she and her sister were little girls, they would always be on the look-out for the first flowers of Spring to pick and give me.  Next week her dad and I will place fresh flowers on her grave.  Angela... this card is for you...

SCS Challenges:

• IC484 Beautiful Cookies: As I waded through the cookies on today's Inspirational Challenge, I was reminded of the old mason jars I displayed my flowers in from my daughters when I came across these cookies.
• TLC524 Stamped Acrylic Block Background: I loaded my acrylic block with Soft Sky, misted with water, then stamped onto Whisper White cardstock.  I then loaded my acrylic block with Pink Pirouette, misted the block again, then stamped it on top of the Soft Sky ink.
•  F4A264 Baby Pinks & Blues: Pink Pirouette and Soft Sky.  I also used Lost Lagoon, Rose Coral, Strawberry Slush.  I really wanted a spring feel on this card.
• To get the dimension on the flowers, I used the rounded tip of a ball point pin to roll over the backs of the flowers to break down the fibers in the Cardstock and puff the flowers up in the centers. I attached the flowers with glue dots to slivers of clear plastic and extended them from the jar through a slit that I cut in the top of the jar, 
• CAS315 Ribbon:  Is any card really complete without adding ribbon or a butterfly.  I used some of the Rose Coral ribbon on the jar, then tucked a butterfly behind one of the flowers.
• WT521 Hoop It Up: My got plenty of use from my Framelits today.  I also used my Petite Petals Punch to punch out my flowers and added brads to the centers (Brights, Neutrals, & Vintage).

Stamps:  Perfectly Preserved, Petite Petals, Papillon Potpourri 

Framelits: Cannery Set, Ovals Collection, Circles Collection, Starburst, Edgelits

Papers: Whisper White, Soft Sky, Pink Pirouette DSP & Pink Pirouette Cardstock 

Inks: Memento Black, Rose Coral Chalk, Soft Sky, Pink Pirouette, Lost Lagoon, Strawberry Slush

Brads: Brights, Neutrals, Vintage

Ribbon: Rose Red

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

No Calories Here

This is the card I made for my husband's birthday this year.  I was inspired by SCS Challenge F4A256, Cutting Back Calories.  When our children were growing up, I always baked cakes for birthdays but now that it's just the two of us here, I don't bake as much.  He loves cookies and milk so here are his cookies and milk... minus the calories.

Front of card

Inside of card where Gift Card was inserted

Just Because

This is for today's SCS Challenge:  F4A241
Repeat After Me ... use one stamp and stamp multiple times.  I stamped the 'Stampin' Up! Corner Garden Back Ground stamp three times and cut the large flower out to layer on top.  Added bonus: Use pink since we are in the month of October... Breast Cancer Awareness.

This is also for Wednesday's Sketch Challenge: SC508.  




Card Stock: Melon Mambo; Blushing Bride ; Mossy Meadow; Very Vanilla
Inks - Blendabilities: Melon Mambo; Rich Razzleberry
Stamps: Corner Garden; Notably Ornate

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

Thank You

Just playing around with one of my new stamp sets as I participate in a few challenges.  I remember reading a statement from Karen Barber a few weeks back that not enough members participate in the SCS Color Challenge and I made a decision to try to be more diligent in participating in more challenges, whether I am pleased with my finished results or not.

This card is for the following challenges: SUO, SUO Challenge #89 - No Layers, CAS, CC463 Coastal Saffron Tango,


Stamps: Peaceful Petals, Blooming With Kindness (Inside Sentiment)
Inks: So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, Coastal Cabana, VersaMark
Clear Embossing Powder, SU Jewels
Key Words: SUO 89, CAS

Peace on Earth

DH and I just returned from San Antonio, TX.  Our oldest daughter came in from Afghanistan and we wanted to be there to welcome her home and to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday with her.

While in Texas, I checked the SCS website to find today's challenge (F4A197 - Let It SNOW!) found here. "Let It Snow" is also SUO Challenge #84 challenge found here.  I decided to CASE this card that I have had in my favorites forever.   I titled my card "Peace on Earth" because  this is my wish.



Stamps: Christmas Lodge, Lovely As a Tree, Serene Silhouettes, Calm Christmas, Gorgeous Grunge
Inks: Chocolate Chip, VersaMark, White Gel Pen
Papers: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Silver Glimmer Paper
White & Clear Embossing Powder
Embellishments: Rhinestone Basic Jewels

For You

Here is my final submission for the September Creative Crew Challenge: Scrapbook and More Focus: Make a gift for a good neighbor as you celebrate National Good Neighbor Day (September 28th).

For You: This little Photo Wallet/Mini Scrapbook is for Alda, a dear friend who has been wonderful to me these past few months.  I have been having a few health issues and she has been right by my side supplying me what whatever I need as well as encouraging me whenever I am down.  I altered the tutorial a bit for my project but basic instructions can be found here.


Supplies:
DSP: Eastern Elegance
Card Stock: Crushed Curry, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Basic Black
Inks:  Crushed Curry, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate
Embossing Folders: Square Lattice,
Framelits Labels Collection, Big Shot Machine,
Stamp Sets: Everything Eleanor, Layered Labels,
Other Products: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Neutrals Brads, and Half-Back Mini Pearls,
Simply Scored Scoring Tool & Stylus, Bone Folder

So Grateful

Here is my third submission for the September 2013 Creative Crew Gallery - Holiday Focus: 911 Remembrance. It's not a holiday, but it's a day that has been imprinted on our minds.  Make a project with the Big Shot that allows you to remember a day from your past. If you wish to share the significance of this day, we'd love to read about it.

So Grateful:  9/11 will forever be a part of my memory.  I was in my office that morning when one of the ladies ran in crying uncontrollably.  She had been listening to the radio at her desk when the news broke.  I had a small TV in my office and we all gathered around and cried together as we watched in disbelief as the events unfolded.  We worked for the Court system and it was rumored that there would be an attack on Atlanta.  The Chief Judge of our Court issued an Order to close down so that we could go home and be with family.  I remember this day as both a tragic day but also as a day that brought us together as a Nation.  As Lee Greenwood sings in his song, “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free...”  I am so grateful and appreciative of the freedom we enjoy.

Supplies:
DSP: Eastern Elegance,
Card Stock: Crushed Curry, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate, Whisper White
Inks:  Crushed Curry, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate
Embossing Folders: Square Lattice, Lacy Brocade
Framelits Labels Collection, Big Shot Machine
Stamp Sets: Flower Shop, Apothecary Art
Stamp-a-ma-jig, Neutrals Brads, and Half-Back Mini Pearls
Simply Scored Scoring Tool & Stylus, Bone Folder

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.

Memories

I have been selected to be one of the guest members of the Stampin' Up! Creative Crew Design Team on the Splitcoaststampers Website (big ole smile on my face because this is such an honor for me ... my Creative Crew Badge is on the right). This is my exciting news that I referred to in my post on July 29th.

This "Memories" box is my submission for our first assignment:

DSP/Color Focus: Our journey of self improvement begins with Eastern Elegance designer papers or the colors crushed curry, coastal cabana, smoky slate and whisper white.  Make a project using these colors for someone you admire. Tell us why this person is significant to you.

This memory box is for my mother, my go-to person ... my encyclopedia of knowledge these past few years as I traced our family lineage.  Most of the information I needed was not available on the ancestry.com website but my mother’s memory of family history filled in the gaps for me.  She turned 93 this past March and she is one of the strongest women I know.  She still cooks huge family meals for holidays and, during inclement weather, she calls each of her children (there are 10 of us) and many of her grands to make sure we are safely tucked in from the storm.

I have not placed photos in her memory box yet but there will be plenty of room to add photos of each of her children.  The pockets give additional space to add photos of her grands, great grands, and great-great grands.  I added a butterfly in the center of the box to represent my mother as being the nucleus of our family and to exemplify her strength because she became stronger as a result of the many trials and struggles she endured over the years.

Supplies:
DSP: Eastern Elegance
Card Stock: Crushed Curry, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate, Whisper White
Inks:  Crushed Curry, Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate
Embossing Folders: Square Lattice, Lacy Brocade,
3/4” Circle Punch, Framelits Labels Collection, Gift Bow Bigz L Die, Bigz Butterfly Die, Papillon Potpourri Punch, Big Shot Machine
Stamp Sets: My Friend, Beautifully Baroque, Label of Love, Too Kind, Blooming with Kindness
Simply Scored Scoring Tool & Stylus, Bone Folder

Post Cards

Decorated Box (Closed)

Add caption

Box - Complete - Undecorated

Box - Assembled

Box - Scored.

This box is for Inspiration Challenge 401 - Michele Varian.  I was inspired by the Wooden Postcards found HERE.  I just ordered and received this Post Card stamp from Stampin' Up! and thought it to be perfect for this project.




Here is the box decorated and open.  I made extra Post Cards to go inside but I am not finished.  I will probably give this to my sister-in-law who is in Germany.  Maybe she will drop us an occasional line so that we will know what she is up to.




This is the box, closed, completed, and undecorated. All supplies are from Stampin' Up!

• Ink: Cherry Cobbler
• Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler, Naturals Ivory
• Ribbon: Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding
• Brads: Regals (Cherry Cobbler)
• Stamps: Post Card; Designer Typeset Photopolymer

Assemble the box using strong adhesive.

This is what the completed, undecorated box looks like open.

• 8 1/2" x 11" Card Stock
• Score at 1", 5", 6", and 10"
• Turn once and score 1" on each of the remaining ends (box will have a one-inch scored border all around)
• On the long side, cut on score lines up to the score line.

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.

NOEL ... Christmas in July

Lately I've been making a lot of Christmas cards and I am really getting in the mood to start my Christmas shopping. I've already started making a list of things to purchase (and make) for friends and family.   The CC434 Challenge falls right in line with my train of thought... Christmas in July. My card for this challenge is pretty simple... no sketch... I just free-formed it. 


Card Stock & Inks:  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Gumball Green
Embossing Folder: Petals-a-Plenty
Stamps: Seasonal Sayings, Ornament Keepsakes (stamped on letters and corner of card
Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine (untwisted Whisper White from Cherry Cobbler before tying to letters)

I used my Cherry Cobbler and Gumball Green Stampin' Write markers on the sentiment stamp and added it to the bottom left-hand corner of the Crumb Cake panel, then ran it through the Big Shot machine using the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder.

For a 'Chipboard' effect of the letters, I cut each color of card stock to 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" (5 layers for each letter), stacked and glued them together, brayered over them to remove any air bubbles, then let them dry. I ran my heat gun over them a few seconds to make sure they were completely dry before running the stacks through the Big Shot machine with the die.

I used one of the ornament stamps from the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set to add interest to each letter.  I stamped each color of ink on the same color of letter (tone-on-tone).  The corner treatment is from one of the ornaments in the same stamp set.  I stamped it on Crumb Cake card stock in Cherry Cobbler, used one of the Ornament Keepsakes Framelets  to cut out the ornament, them used the corner punch to turn it into my corner treatment.