Thank You Holly and Snowflakes

I need several thank you cards for the holidays.  Then I saw this post by Susan Rahlia with this so "simple" yet beautiful card.

I put "simple" in quotes, because Susan makes her cards look so easy to create, that I just had to try this design.  I, on the other hand spent much time trying to create my cards, and found that it is not really so simple to get a design looking the way I envision it.  

I am happy with the way it turned out.  More importantly, I had a fun time in my craft room playing around with this.  

I am putting both cards in CAS(E) this Sketch

And both are going into Clean and Simple on Sunday - theme of Christmas

Both are also going to Holly Jolly Christmas - Merry Christmas Once Again challenge.




The Holly card is using the colors from Creative Colors

And the snowflake card is using the colors from Sketchy Colors

The holly stamp is from Hero Arts.  The snowflakes are from assorted stamp sets (most Inkadinkadoo).  I am not sure of the Thank You sentiment.  

Thanks so much for looking.  I am wishing you a happy and healthy New Year.  

You Light up My Life

This is for my darling hubby.  The stamp set is from Sweet and Sassy,  I used the sentiment from the set on the inside of the card.  It is our wedding song, "You Light up My Life".  Boy, that dates us!

The pattern papers are from Stampin Up.  I use the hill border die cut from Simon Says Stamp.  I colored the snowman with a combo of regular markers, colics, and stickles (for the lights).  I used the falling snow stencil from Simon Says Stamp, colored the embossing paste with a small bit of reindeer.  

I am putting this into the following challenges:

1. CAS on Sunday - Christmas - 
2. Addicted to Stamps - Anything goes with a twist of LOVE - since this is for hubby with our wedding song, I think it fits the twist too!  :)
3. CASology -  where the cue is LIGHT -- 
4. Techno Stamper Monday Lunchtime Sketch 
5. Simon Says Stamp   - Winter Inspiration 
6. Love To Create - Icy Winter Days

Thanks so much for looking.  I hope you enjoy this.  And have a great holiday!

Merry Christmas

I made this for my Xmas cards this year -- 54 of them!

The tree is from Stampin Up.  I stamped the first one, them just covered the bottom and stamped again to get the smaller lighter tree.  I cut some scrap paper into hill shape, and sponged the snowy hills -- I used the technique demonstrated by Gina K on Stamp TV.

I then used the Simon Says Stamp Falling Snow stencil with Aleene's Glitter Snow paste -- which gives a nice bit of glitz to the snow.  I few drops of red from Viva Decor, and a bit of red pattern paper; and it's done!

I'm putting this into the following challenges:

1. Merry Monday - Winter Wonderland
2. CASology - cue card: Snow
   
   
   3. Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
   4. Creative Colors
     
   5. Love to Create - create a scene
   6. Crafty Sentiments - Winter Challenge
   
   
   Thanks so much for looking.  I hope you are having a good holiday.  

1st Christmas

Back story:  This is for my great-nephew, Caleb.  He has a hard beginning in his little life.  He was born very premature, at 24 weeks gestation - only a pound a half.  He spent the first 5 months of his life in the NICU, under great care of nurses and doctors.  

He is home now, and doing well.  He weighs in at 9 1/2 pounds.  Still on oxygen, but starting to do real new baby things.  His "corrected" age is about 3 months old.  

2 months old - and now

The card details:  

I used the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch - I like the tilted designs -- it adds a lot of interest 

I am also putting this in Crafty Hazlenuts Pattern Paper Challenge and her Anything Goes Christmas Challenge

The stamp is from W Plus 9 and the pattern paper is from SEI. 

I am also putting this in the following challenges: 

• The Male Room - Christmas card for a male -- Caleb is all boy!!
• Simon Says Stamp - Monday Challenge -- Anything Goes

Here is a pix of Caleb going out shopping for his first Xmas tree:

Don't you just love the hat, the blue eyes, and those pinch-able cheeks?

Thanks so much for looking.  Have a very Happy Holiday!

WTF

this is for a co-worker who also is a card-making friend.  She and I attend Stamp-Camp together.
I used the colors from Curtain Call where the theme is Boho Bright

The sketch is from Sketch Saturday  I rotated it to fit the sentiment:

at Seize the Birthday the topping for this challenge is orange, but I am putting this in for Anything Goes:

As always, thanks so much for looking!  Hope you are having a nice day.

Chester's Home sweet Home

When my son and daughter-in-law bought their first house this year, I wimped out in the card department -- and gave them one from my stash.  It has weighed a bit on me that I did not create a just-for-them creation.  So I've been trying to think of what to do.  

Here is my thought process:  the outside of the house is made of brick painted an off-white.  So I created the brick panel with a stencil -- first stamped the Home sweet Home onto the stencil.  Then I used translucent embossing paste.  This gave a really nice texture while letting the words show through.  Next distress ink filled in the "cement" area.   So I made a whole panel of that and then  . . . . time went by again.. . .. 

what to do with this brick wall???  Until I found this dog-on-a-charir stamp (in my stash)--- a NBUS stamp, I think from Whipper Snapper.   

And I knew I had to create it into Chester on his favorite chair.  So again I looked through my stash, and found this pattern paper.  I colored Chester with copic markers; and cut him out and put him onto the paper-pieced chair. I flocked his ear -- so cool.

I am using this sketch from Deconstructing Jen

And this week at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday blog - it is Anything Goes,

Perfect card for them -- One of a Kind!

Work has kept me very busy -- my crafting time comes in just minutes here and there.  So I've not done much card-making (which makes me sad), but I am also not buying as much (which makes me a bit happy).

As always, thanks for looking.

Sweet Sixteen

I have the sweetest husband.  Let me explain:  I make cards for the fun of it -- it's a hobby, pure and simple.  It makes me happy.  Making cards relieves stress - and most of my family appreciate them . . . at least I think they do :)

So that being said -- back to the sweet husband. . .  After I made this card, I realized the balloons and the car were waaayyyy out of proportion.  My darling hubby took one look at it, and said, "It's supposed to be that way.  It's a cartoon."  I love that man!

This is for niece #5 's sixteenth birthday.  She will be taking her road test soon.

I used the same technique as the Engagement Card card I made for my son.  You'll recognize the hill and cloud.  The car is from PaperTrey ink.  I am not sure where the sentiment stamp is from.  

I used the colors from Color Me Scrappy.  I hope you can see that the paper I used for the hillside does indeed have lines in it, as per the challenge.

I used the sketch from Sweet Sunday Sketch , with a few liberties.

That's it for today.  I am thrilled to have gotten some crafting in -- it's been a while.  I hope you are enjoying the end of summer.

Congratulations on your Engagement

My son is asking his lady to marry him.  I hope she says, "Yes!"  She has a small collection of snails -- not real ones - garden ornaments mostly.  She and my son also have a fist bump, that turns into a snail of sorts.
This is for them.

I recently took an online card class, Stretch your Stamps 2.  The teachers of this class offer amazing ways to really use the products you already have (at least I have -- as I am a bit obsessive about collecting products)  :)

One of the techniques is using your sentiment stamps with a stencil.  I used that technique here.  Now, I don't have a stencil of a hill or clouds.  But I do have cloud dies, so I used one to cut a cloud out a piece of hard plastic packaging.  And I free hand cut the hill out of the same material.  Then I use these as my mask; to stamp the sentiment and sponge around the cut-outs to give more definition to the shape.

The hearts stencil is from Heidi Swapp.  The snails are from Outlines stamps; a company that is now, sadly, out of business.  The sentiment is from a Paper Trey Ink set.

I watercolored the snails with distress inks, then used Wink of Stella for some sparkle.  I used crystal effects on top of both shells to give them a smooth shell-like feel.  I think you can see it in this close-up.

I am putting this into the following challenges:

1. Less is More - the theme is "Animal"

2. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge "Anything Goes"

3. Color Throwdown 

4. Clear it out Challenge - Anything Goes, Just use your Stash.  Since the snail stamps are quite old, I think this qualifies! I didn't buy anything extra for this card (I do have a lot of "stash".  

5. Try it on Tuesday - Use your Stash!  I also found the heart-shaped crystal floating around . . . and only one!  Perfect!

6. Crazy Challenge - Cute Little Animals.  Don't you just love the eyelashes on the girl snail.  I drew them on, they are not on the stamp.

7. All Sorts Challenge - use Masking and/or Stenciling.  In addition to the hand-made stencils, I also masked the snails, so they would be place better on the hills.

Thanks so much for looking and taking your time to leave a comment.  I love reading them.

Have a great day!

Thank You Bandaids

The back story for this card:
You may recall that I have a grand-nephew, Caleb, who was born very prematurely on May 7. He was actually considered a "micro-preemie" as he was only 1 1/2 pounds.  He is doing well, and just reached 5 pounds today.  His due date was yesterday.  He is still on oxygen, and not completely on bottle feedings yet, but getting there.  He is in an open crib.  We hope he will be able to go home by the end of August.

Caleb is still getting blood transfusions on occasion.  I made several of these cards, which will go to the people (friends and family) that have donated blood for him.

Now for the card:
When I create a card, I like to look for a sketch and a color challenge.

The colors from Cosmic Strawberry are a bright summery palette.  And I've wondered for days what I could make with all these yummy colors.    Collette makes amazing beautiful (and colorful) cards.  And she makes other things as well.  A beautiful doll for her Mom.

As it happens, another blog I follow, One Layer Simplicity, has a color challenge hosted by Susan Rahalia.  Actually several color selections.  One is very similar to Collette's :

I based my card on the sketch from Seize the Sketch .  I rotated it 90 degrees, and swapped the placements of the images and the sentiment. 

I'll also place this card into the Paper Pretties Challenge - THANK YOU . 

And I am "taking" an online card class: Stretch Your Stamps 2 - one segment is coloring lined images.  They have lots of new techniques.  

supplies: images: Paper Smooches; sentiment: Paper Trey Ink; coloring: watercolor using distress inks.  

Here is a photo of Caleb from last week.  It is so nice to hold a "baby-sized" baby.  He looks so sweet.  He's actually been giving the nurses a "hard time", being very fussy.  We've been taking turns going to the hospital to hold him.  Babies grow best while sleeping.  And he sleeps better while being held.  So we hold him, and comfort him.  And he gets better and bigger!

Thanks so much for looking and reading about Caleb.  I hope you are enjoying the summer!  

I do appreciate that you've taken the time to read this, and I love your comments.  

Birthday Flowers

Woo hoo!  My second post for the day.  I love summer -- so much more time to craft!  How about you?  When is your best time for crafting?

My Stampin Up demonstrator is having her Hostess Appreciation Event next week.  We usually bring a card (or project) we made on our own to share.  This is for that.  

The products are from Stampin Up.  The flowers are from "Flower Shop" - white embossed on vellum, and then colored (on the back) with Stampin Up markers.  

I followed the sketch from Seize the Sketch and the colors from Color Throwdown

 

Thanks for looking!  Have a great day!

Live in Color

I had a "play date" with my friends this week.  We had a really fun day paper crafting.

I made this for no one in particular -- just to play -- and it was wonderful!!

The brushes are from PTI, the sentiment is from Reverse Confetti.  I used Distress inks and a "swish"-type stamp to watercolor.  You can't see it in the photo, but I added some Wink of Stella to add some sparkle.

I used the colors from Cosmic Strawberry which has these rainbow colors.  And this sketch from CAS Colours and Sketches

That's all I have for today.  Summer is speeding by too fast!  Hope you are enjoying  yours!

Maritime Birthday & PTI July Blog Hop

At One-Layer Simplicity the challenge is called "Wave the Flag".  Now it is always important to pay attention to details - something I did NOT do in this challenge.  The actual challenge is to use your country's flag for inspiration.  I saw Ardyth's post  and how she used the Japanese flag and Canadian flag for her awesome cards.  And an inspiration hit me!

I've been playing with some sea / maritime stamp sets.  And one of the sets has a string of maritime flags.  So I did some research to see what the flags mean.  Most of them mean some kind of distress.  Not what I was looking for.  So I looked on and found that some pennant flags represent numbers.  So the top flag represents "5" and the bottom flag represents "0" for my sister's 50th birthday!  

Editied to add: I used a stamp from CASual Fridays "WTF" set - to put the border of 50 * 50 - just to give a bit of meaning to the flags for most of us who don't know what they mean.  I like this better. 

Paper Trey Ink's July Blog Hop Challenge has this inspiration photo:

The pennants are actually "rays" from a PTI set called Hello Sunshine.  I just selectively inked them.  The sentiment is also from PTI.  The "rope" is from a Stampin Up set.  

Pennants seem to be back.  At Time Out Challenges we are to use this photo for inspiration  I think the pennants qualify :)

I am also including this in the Cardz 4 Guyz challenge which is "At the Beach".  While I am making this for my sister, I do think the colors will work for a guy.  And if you have a sailor in your family, this will really work for him (or her).  And you can do it with any set of numbers --  you'll just need to be creative.  

I am also linking this to Art Impressions (Ai) - Big Birthdays .   I need to look through my stash for one of their images - they are fabulous - and very funny sentiments that go with the images too!

Red Rubber Inspiration is "By the Sea" .

Addicted to Stamps challenge is to create a Clean and Simple (CAS) card.  

Brown Sugar  has a "Sea and Sand" challenge.

And lastly, I'll add this to Seize the Birthday "Stringing Along More Birthday Wishes" .  I didn't use real string, but there is a rope in the design.  

Well that is about all for now.  Thanks so much for looking.  I hope you are enjoying your summer!