Happy Birthday with Butterflies

Here is a card I made for my sister-in-law’s birthday. It is larger than I usually make cards (7.25″ x 5″), because I am going to hand deliver it to her when she and her family visit in a few weeks.

I used a new technique I learned recently on the stamped butterfly images. I stamped with VersaMark, then embossed with white embossing powder. I dabbed some Ranger Distress Inks onto a large acrylic stamp block and used that as a palette. I used an AquaMarker to pick up the ink color and do a gradient colorwash over the unembossed areas.

I also recently discovered PerfectPearls and used some as accents on the left edge of the kraft cardstock, and on the tips of the sentiment border.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Company (Kraft), Bazzill Basics (Parakeet), Neenah Classic Crest (Solar White, Super Smooth)
Stamps: Hero Arts (Little Butterfly Frame), PTI (Fillable Frames 4)
Punches/dies: PTI (Fillable Frames 4), Martha Stewart (Garden Gate Deep Double Edge Punch)
Inks: Ranger Distress (Peeled Paint, Barn Door, Wild Honey, Dusty Concord, Tumbled Glass, Broken China); VersaMark (champagne)
Embellishments: American Crafts Embossing Powder (white)PerfectPearls, ribbon, pop dots

I’m Back!

It’s been quite a long hiatus! I am finally ready to get back to blogging and on Monday I will post a birthday card I made featuring embossed images colored with Ranger Distress inks. It is a very fun technique I learned recently. In other news:

I completed the Copic Standard Certification class today! The class was very informative, and I am so glad I finally had the opportunity to go. Lori Craig was a great instructor, and it was really cool to see some of her cards in person! Now I am hoping for the opportunity to take the Intermediate class sometime soon.

Happy Birthday

My husband’s grandmother’s birthday was yesterday, so I needed to make a simple and elegant card for her. One of my favorite embossing folders is Cuttlebug’s Birds and Swirls. It gives a nice deep emboss and is just so pretty! I used cream cardstock, and swiped Archive Brilliance Platinum Planet ink over the raised surface; the result was a pearly embossed pattern that was subtle but elegant. Here is my card:

Thanks for looking!

 

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Company (black); Neenah Classic Crest (Natural White)
Ink: Archival Brilliance (Platinum Planet); Hero Arts Chalk Hues (Punch)
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Fillable Frames 4)
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug (Birds and Swirls)
Other: EK Success (corner rounder); Martha Stewart (ribbon); Hero Arts (rhinestones); pop dots; adhesive

CPS #192

CPS #192

 

 

 

My Card:

(click images for larger view)

This week’s prize is sponsored by Paper Pretties.

This week’s sketch was a little harder for me than previous sketches. I worked quite a while trying to get a combination of papers and such that I liked, but I am really happy with what I wound up making. I saw the “Santa’s Toy Co” stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms and the idea for a Naughty/Nice list popped into my head. I used the Ledger paper from Cosmo Cricket’s “The Boyfriend” DP stack. I added tons of Distress Ink, wrote the list, then distressed more. I pop dotted the tag over the list, and love the overall effect.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Company (Kraft); American Crafts (Black)
DP: Basic Grey (Boxer/Hipster); Cosmo Cricket (They Boyfriend); K & Company (unknown name)
Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms (Winter Vintage Signage)
Ink: Memento (Rich Cocoa); VersaFine (Onyx Black); American Crafts Pigment (Cranberry); Ranger Distress Ink (Peeled Paint, Old Paper, Tea Dye)
Punch: EK Success (Scalloped Circle, Circle)
Misc: Bazzill Basics Ribbon, Pop Dots, ScorTape

JustRite Friday Challenge #43 – With Sympathy

I am glad JustRite issued a challenge that includes sympathy cards. Sympathy cards can be so hard to make, and I appreciate all of the entries I’ve seen so far. There are so many good ideas for elegant and subdued cards. Well done, everyone!

For my card I used something that I just received in the mail yesterday: my first JustRite font set! Some of them are 50% off right now (in the Super Sale section of the JustRite store) since they are reconfiguring how they bundle the sets. I had a lot of fun with my mom yesterday (we both ordered some fonts and Christmas stamps that are also on sale) trying out our new letters. We both had a few mistaken identities with letters: there were “Happy Dirthbay” and “symgathy” sentiments.

I decided to make a 4×4 card, which I’ve discovered is the perfect size for a gift card and a little note. I used some DP I bought around Mother’s Day, and a “Natural” colored cardstock base instead of the “Kraft” that I have been using a lot lately. Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Company (Natural); Neenah Classic Crest (Solar White)
DP: My Mind’s Eye: Life Stories (Lavender Plaid, Roses)
Stamps: JustRite (Trompe Lowercase 25pt)
Inks: VersaFine (Onyx Black); Ranger Distress Ink (Tea Dye); Memento (Timber Brown); Hero Arts Chalk Ink (Iris)
Punches: EK Success (Scalloped Circle, Circle); Martha Stewart All Over the Page (Rose Window)
Misc: Recollections (Pearls); Martha Stewart (Ribbon); ScorTape, Pop Dots

Home Sweet Home

I made this card for a friend who sold her house and is finally able to move back closer to her family. This is the first card I’ve made where the main image is inside the card, and I am very happy with the way it turned out. Here is a look at the inside:

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Company (Solar White); Neenah Classic Crest (Solar White-Super Smooth); DCWV (Old World Stack)
Stamps: Hero Arts (Row of Houses); PaperTrey Ink (Fillable Frames 4); American Crafts (Thanks)
Ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black); Whispers (Blue); American Crafts (Wave, Powder, Leaf)
Misc: EK Success (corner punch); Hero Arts (rhinestones); Michael’s ribbon, pop dots

Thanks to Linda from Craft Apple!

I’ve been a fan of  Linda from Craft Apple for a long time, and am always inspired by her quilts and the other projects she posts on her blog.  She also has tons of great tutorials and sewing tips, and I have learned so much from reading her posts.

Linda recently attended Quilt Market and is posting some highlights over on her blog. She won several giveaways and freebies at the Schoolhouse sessions she attended, and was so kind as to offer some of the things she knew she wouldn’t use right away to her readers, on a first-come-first-served basis. She had several fat quarter sets, and I was quick enough to claim this cute set from Lecien’s Flower Sugar collection!

Thank you for your generosity, Linda!

Thanks for Your Hospitality

Last week my family visited a family from church for the first time. We had a great time getting to know them, and I made this card to send as a thank you. The family’s home was decorated with lots of blue and their design aesthetic was clean and uncluttered; I created my card to match those qualities.

A close-up of the tea cups:

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Company (Solar White); Neenah Classic Crest (Solar White-Super Smooth); DCWV (Mat Stack Brights)
Stamps: Great Impressions (Tea Cups); Papertrey Ink (Quilter’s Sampler Vol. 2 – sentiment)
Ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black); American Crafts Pigment Ink (Wave)
Die Cuts: Spellbinders Nestabilities (Classic Ovals Large (size 4), Big Scalloped Ovals LG (sizes 4, 5)
Punch: Martha Stewart (Doily Lace)
Copics: B21, B24, B91, B95, B97, BG0000, C1, C3, C5, 0
Spica Glitter Pens: Lemon, Pink, Garnet, Melon, Clear
Misc: Pop dots; The Paper Studio (Gemstones); Michael’s craft ribbon

Copic Creations Challenge #36

This is my first time entering the Copic Creations Challenge, and this week’s challenge is to use the color orange. I love orange, and this card is one of my favorites!

(click for larger view)

This card came together pretty quickly, and the natural colored cardstock really looks nice with the orange patterned paper and flower image. I used silver rhinestone “pearls” for the center of the flower and that really adds a nice sparkle! Here is a closeup of the center:

I used my new EK Success Circle Scissor Pro to cut out the flower, and will definitely be using this tool often. It cut the circle quickly and cleanly, and is so much nicer than my old circle cutter.

The flower stamp is one I like to use a lot, and I think it looks great in orange!

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Company (Natural); Neenah Classic Crest (Solar White); AdornIt Carolee’s Creations (Bullseye Orange)
Ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa), Ranger Distress (Tea Dye)
Stamps: Hero Arts (Stencil Flower); American Crafts (Thanks)
Copics: YR07, YR09, YR12, YR15
Misc: Recollections (Rhinestone Stickers); Ribbon (Michael’s); pop dots; EK Success (Circle Scissor Pro)

JustRite Friday Challenge #39

This week’s JustRite challenge is to make a Thanksgiving or Thank You card or project using JustRite stamps. The sponsor is Spellbinders! Here is my Thanksgiving card:

(click for larger view)

This was a simple card to put together, and it was a lot of fun to color. I used an image and sentiment from the Autumn Blessings stamp set, which is the first JustRite set I acquired back when I began cardmaking. It was used in the first cardmaking class I attended, and we received the set as part of take home package from the class.

Here is a closer pic of the coloring on the image:

I used my Copic Airbrush System to create the golden colored band around the image. I was trying for a slightly mottled look, which looks much better in person than in the pictures! I am quite happy with how this card turned out.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Company (Natural); Neenah Classic Crest (Solar White)
Ink: Memento (Rich Cocoa)
Stamps: JustRite (Autumn Blessings); Hero Arts (Season of Giving)
Copics: YR07, YR09, YR12 (ABS), YR15, YG23, YG25, G21, G24, W0, 0
Spellbinders Nestabilities: Classic Ovals Lg (5)
Punch: EK Success (Corner Rounder)
Misc: Ribbon (Michael’s); pop dots; Hero Arts (Pearls and Gems bling)