May Card Exchange - My Card!

Where does time go? It seems just last week I was posting the April Card exchange. This month's challenge was to use acetate or vellum. I had found a super deal on cardstock at Tuesday Morning (a discount store in the Midwest). I got 20 sheets of this American Crafts patterned paper for $1.99 so that is where I started. All of the cutting for this card was done using my Silhouette, I love the new weld function! I welded two circles together and then added an opening to the front. The flower is another Silhouette shape.

I was able to adhere the acetate using a quickie glue pen. Ths card came together quickly and I am very happy with the result; hope you like it as well! I can't wait to see what my friends have come up with!

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: American Crafts

Cardstock: Stampin Up Kiwi Kiss

Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink: Memento

SFYTT and Cardvaarks Challenges

When I saw tonight's SFYTT I was a bit puzzled as to what I would do with the circle in the center. Once I settled on my sentiment from the Simple Thoughts - Boy Stamp set pairing it with a cute sticker from K and Co seemed obvious!

This card also fits the Cardvaarks challenge for this week to use a verse or quote! Love that!

Hope you like my submission!

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: Base DCWV, Plaid Daisy D's

Cardstock: Wausau (White), Navy (Archiver's)

Felt Ribbon: Stampin Up

Stamp: Cloud Nine

Sticker: K and Company

Ink: Memento and Distress Ink

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #5

This is my first time participating in the Raspberry Suite Color Challenge. I have been following all of the other ones, but something always came up that prevented me from playing. Not this time! I had bought this Doodlebug paper a couple months ago; I loved that it was flocked and bright pink! When I saw the colors that Dawn selected I immediately thought of this paper. The bow is tied with bias tape. I love the fabric look, but hate to fuss with ironing seams so bias tape was totally the way to go.

I love the way the bow came out. Sometimes I fuss with them for what seems like an eternity. This bow prety much ties itself. A die cut tag made with my silhouette and stamped with a sentiment from Hero Arts completes the card! Oh, and I put pop dots under the white layer to give the card a little lift. Hope you like it!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Basic Gray (SU), White (Wausau)

Patterned Paper: Doodlebug Designs

Bias Tape: from my sewing stash, probably from JoAnn's

Stamp: Hero Arts

Ink: Going Gray (SU)

KWerner Challenge #51

These colors were so fun! I took my inspiration from the toy in the bottom left corner of the picture. I have seen this brown circle design on everything from toys to blankets. Retro graphics are so hot lately. I paired my trendy brown circles (I used a 1 1/8" SU punch to punch them) with a small mustard colored rubon and a sentiment rubon. I used a layer of acetate so that the rubons would go on smoothly. The rubon was from a pack that I got recently from Archiver's for $1.99 (See the two other cards I made with them here and here.) Clean, simple, and inexpensive - love that! Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Carstock: Neenah (White), Archiver's (Brown)

Ribbon: American Crafts

Rubons: Fancy Pants (Image), Scenic Route

Acetate: Staples

Awards and Recognition

This post is a Thank You to Tiffany for giving me the Lemonade Stand Award for being a blogger who shows great attitude and gratitude.

Here are some wonderful women who have left great comments on my blog! Their blogs are terrific as well, so be sure to stop by!

Amy Tsuruta
Kelly Lunceford
Winter Wonderland
travelingmama
Amy Lingenfelser
Rochelle Gould



The rules of the award (To pick up the Lemonade Stand Award):
- Comment on this blog.- Cut and paste the award logo and use it in your own blog.
- Nominate 5 to 10 blogs you feel show great attitude and gratitude.
- Link to your nominees within your blog post.
- Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received the award.
- Link back to the person who gave you the award to show your appreciation.



Now How about a card? Another quickie card using the Rubons from fancy pants. Love them!


Supplies:
Cardstock: Archiver's
Rubon: Fancy Pants
Stamp: Hero Arts
Ink: Memento
Ribbon: May Arts

Make Your Own Happiness

Sometimes in Life you have to go out and make your own happiness, it doesn't come to you. This rubon was one on a whole sheet of fabulousness, and it was only $1.99 at Archiver's! Love that. I was feeling sassy and pair it with the spring moss ribbon instead of my go to brown.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzil, Archivers
Rubon: Fancy Pants
Stamp: Hero Arts
Ink: Memento
Ribbon: Spring Moss
Acetate: Staples

SFYTT and Papertrey Spring Inspiration

It was a wonderful day at my house. We went to the park (mid 60s and sunny), got a new bed (upgrade to King size WooHOO!), and then went for pictures (we are a bit late on the 1 year old photos of Jack, but we got them done). So tonight I was thinking of Spring and the Papertrey Spring Fling Challenge. I loved the quilt that Pine selected and thought the paper from the Everyday Blessing collection worked perfectly with the theme and my day. Then when I saw the layout the Jen had at SFYTT it all came together.

I sewed a lot on this card. I always feel very inspired by the vintage designs that Kelly Lunceford produces, so I tried to channel her a bit. Sewing on cards is not difficult (for those who have never attempted it) and I am always amzed at how it kicks my cards up a notch. I loved the pairing of the coffee cup from Warm Happiness with the sentiment from a Hero Arts set, it really brought home how wonderful today had been. Remember to find joy everyday!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Archiver's

Pattered Paper: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Stampin Up (Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand)

Stamps: Warm Happiness (Papertrey Ink), sentiments (Hero Arts)
Ribbon: American Crafts

Other: Thread

CPS-113 Feel Better Bunny

This is my first time joining the CPS (Card Positioning System) Challenge. I had colored this shy bunny last weekend, and when I saw the sketch I thought it would be perfect! The fun part about sketches is seeing past what is one the page. I chose to not use a zig zag behind the focal image on this buny card, and i also elongated the card. I had so much fun with the sketch that I quickly made another card using the same sketch.

For this sketch I had to mask the happy birthday stamp so it fit on the frame. I had precut the frame on my silhouette for another project, and had also stiched the pink background. I like the effect of doubling the ribbon. It helps me out when I need a wider ribbon but don't have the exact right one in my stash. Hope you enjoy my entries, I'd love to hear what you think!

Supplies:

Shy Bunny

Patterned Paper: SEI Dill Blossom, KI Memories

Cardstock: Neenah

Ribbon: Basic Basic

Stamp: Bunny (Whipper Snapper), Sentiment (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Memento

Happy Birthday

Patterned Paper: American Crafts

Cardstock: Archiver's

Stamp: Heidi Swapp

Ribbon: Celebrate it Basic Narrows

Wedding Cards

Tonight I wanted to play with Cuttlebug embossing folders. I bought a cuttlebug even though I have a Silhouette just so I could make embossed papers. Once you start you will find yourself wanting to texture everything. Plain cards will be a thing of the past. But I digress...

Once I had embossed the gray paper, I decided I also wanted to use the Amy Butler fabric brads that I got on clearance at Archiver's awhile back. I think I paid $2.50 for a 12 pack. I could not pass them up! The brad above is very large, and I felt it held its own as the focal point on the card. The card below I used two of the smaller to accent the bow. I actually tied the bow intending to put the large brad over it, but then I decided it was too pretty of a bow to cover up.
Clean and classy wedding cards that could be replicated in the colors of any wedding.


Supplies:
Cardstock: Stampin Up (Basic Grey), Wausau (Light Gray and white)
Brads: K and Company
Stamps: Hero Arts (Congratulations), Studio G (Mr. and Mrs.)
Embossing Folders: Cuttlebug
Ink: Stampin Up
Ribbon: from the stash

KWerner Challenge #50

It's KWerner Challenge #50! I have only been playing for 9 challenges, but it is always a fun test of my creativity. Tonight (and the last week actually), I wanted to make a simple card. The colors were very fun, and I tried to make a balanced card. Hope you like it!

Supplies:
Cardstock: White and Brown (Archiver's), Turquoise, Yellow, and Red (Stampin Up)

Stamp: Technique Tuesday

Debbie's Blog Candy

Have you seen this blog candy? Its at Debbie's blog! Go and check it out.

Krafty Kards

This was a very fun weekend. I was able to relax with my family and helped make 125 thank you cards (yes you read that right) for my friend Michelle's sister Jen, who is having a baby in July. There were 4 of us, but Susi and I were the only "experienced" crafters. See this post for examples of some of the cards we made. We did of course, make different cards and incorporated some papers Jen had from her Teaching Assistant. It was a very fun and productive Sunday.

So tonight I wanted to make cards that were not baby-like. I used my new Basic Grey stamps (Enabler Alert: All three of the image stamps were in the new $1.99 stamp sets from Basic Grey. There are 3-6 stamps per pack, although some of them are tiny. But they are fun...and they are at Archiver's. Just sayin')

I also continued my love affair with Kraft cardstock. I seriously have an L-O-V-E of any card that is put on Kraft. It is becoming the first paper I reach for after I color an image. The first card I used Primacolor pencils right on the Kraft. I used a blending pencil to burnish the pencil into the card, and a white pencil to add some highlights. The card with the leaves I used my Copics to play with the retro- feel of the leaves. And below is the retro birdy. He is colored with Copics as well. The sentiment stamps are all from Hero Arts, although not from the same sets.
Have a great week everyone!

Supplies:

Stamps: Images (Basic Grey), Sentiments (Hero Arts)

Cardstock: Kraft, Ocean Tides (Papertrey Ink), White (Neenah), Green (SU)

Ribbon: Orange (American Crafts), Ocean Tides Twill (Papertrey Ink), Twine (Walmart)

Ink: Memento

Colored Pencils: Prismacolor

Markers: Copics

Mother's Day Cards

I found a pack of Amy Butler Purse embellishments at Archiver's and I thought they would make the perfect embellishment for Mother's Day Cards. Then I found the matching paper at Michael's - how fun is that? These cards were so easy to put together, and I love how they came out!

Supplies:

Purses: K and Company

Patterned Paper: K and Company

Stamp: Papertrey Ink

Ribbon: from the stash

Paper Challenge #4

Time for another paper challenge! Four of my friends at work and I swap patterned paper every month and then challenge each other to make cards for each other. You must make at least one card, but extra points are given for making more. This is the paper I got from Joan; it is from My Mind's Eye. I don't usually work with pink, so it kind of sat on the side for awhile so I could think about what to do with it. I wound up with 4 cards for each person for a total of 20 cards! Love that! I even used some of the crocheted flowers that I am addicted to making.

Scroll down to see the four cards I made; I'd love to know what you think. Swap paper with your other card making friends or even pick paper yourself. Link your projects in the comments section.

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye

Cardstock: Stampin Up, Papertrey Ink, Wausau Paper

Ribbon: Papertrey Ink

Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug

Stamps: Hero Arts, Stampin Up

Rubon: American Crafts

Die Cut Machine: Silhouette

Twine: Walmart

Bling: Kaiser

Ink: Stampin Up, Memento

Button: Foof-a-loof

Crochet Thread: DMC (Flower pattern my own)

See what Tiffany did with my paper here.
See what Randee did with the paper she got from Tiffany here.
Janie challenged herself and made some fab cards here.

SFYTT- Argus and His Teddy

This card is a bit more complicated then the simple thank you notes I made for my friends yesterday. This is Argus and his Teddy from Paper Makeup Stamps, and I like him colored Blue. I was playing with my Copics, and did a few variations of him. I like him blue. I didn't know how to incorporate him into a card until I saw this weeks SFYTT. I did shift the placement of the oval, but I think it helps balance the button and the patterned paper. Hope you like him!

Here are the Copics:

Supplies:

Stamps: Argus and his Teddy (Paper Makeup Stamps), Sentiment (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Memento

Patterned Paper: KI Memories

Brads: Queen and Co

Ribbon: Papertrey Ink

Twine: Walmart

Cardstock: Neenah

Markers: Copic

Button: Fancy Pants

Simple Thank Yous

A friend of mine asked me to make some simple Thank you notes that she and her sister could make to send after her sister's baby shower. The emphasis was on the word "simple". These ladies have never stamped before and claim to not be crafty. They walked into Archiver's and said "Our friends told us to come here", and walked out with a piece of patterned paper, some ribbon, and cardstock that matched the party invitations. So I made 4 options for them. They can mix up the white or kraft backgrounds, pick one of the cards or make some of each design. I hope they like them!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Wausau Paper (white), Papertrey Ink (Kraft)

Patterned Paper: Reminisce

Ribbon: RibbonFX, Celebrate It

Stamps: Technique Tuesday

Ink: Memento

Owl be thinking of you

This was a good weekend. It was a crazy crazy week last week and I needed to decompress. I spent a lot of time playing in my room on Friday night and was practicing coloring with my Copics. I feel like I am getting better! I won't point out the flaws on this card, because I think the overall feeling is a good one. On Saturday I went to a different Archiver's then I usually do and it was a lot of fun. My best deal was some white grograin for $0.04/yd (I took 20 yards for a bank breaking $0.80, remember, you can color ribbon with copics to coordinate with your projects). I also got the ribbon on the card above for $0.25/yd. The deals were terrific! For this card I busted out the Cuttlebug. I had resisted getting a bug because I had the silhouette, but the embossing folders were too fun to resist. The swiss dot is just my favorite. I have a couple other folders that I will play with later this week. I have to get my paper challenge cards done; I am very behind.

Here are the Copics:

Have a good Monday!

Supplies:
Stamps: Owl (Whipper Snapper), Sentiment (PTI)

Paper: Stampin Up, White (Neenah)

Ribbon: Fancy Pants

Markers: Copics
Ink: Memento

Simple Mom Card

It doesn't get much simpler then this...I love this coffee mug stamp from Hero Arts. I colored it with Copics (W1, YG91, and R27) and then stamped the sentiment (Papertrey Ink). I did cut out the mug and pop it off the card. I also used the super thick 120 lb weight Neenah paper. It is fantastic for a card base, but it sucks up a lot of ink from copics, so I would recommend the 80 lb for coloring images.

Supplies:

Stamps: Hero Arts (mug), Sentiment (papertrey ink)

Cardstock: Neenah

Ink: Memento

Markers: Copics

Grandma You're Special

I have been crocheting these little flowers at work during lunch. I keep giving them to my crafty friends for their cards, so I thought it was time I actually used one on a card. My Grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was 10, and when I saw all the crocheted flowers in stores I thought they were pretty cute, but there was no way I was going to pay for a crocheted flower. Enter Grandma. She worked up a pattern, and then I refined it slightly and it resulted in the flower above. I dug through my stash of yarn and found a bunch of colors that I had gotten on closeout at Hobby Lobby for $0.68 - that's what I call a deal! Needless to say, this card is for my Grandma.

Supplies:
Stamp: Hero Arts
Paper: K and Company
Carstock: Stampin Up
Ribbon: Papertrey Ink
Button: American Crafts
Twine: Walmart

With Sympathy

I picked up this stamp at my LSS a couple weeks ago and didn't have the right colors of Copics to do it justice. So I had to treat myself to a new batch *grin*. Admitedly, i need to practice my blending a bit more. I thought that coneflowers were a bit more blueish, but they really are purple. And the cone is supposed to be redder, but it didn't look right. This image could lend itself to many things, but it said "Sympathy card" to me.

The Copics (I forgot to add W1 to the pile I photographed)

Supplies:
Stamp: Cornish Farms
Cardstock: Neenah (White), Stampin Up
Ribbon: May Arts
Markers: Copics