Butterflies and Petals

nothing like buying some new stuff to get hte old Mojo Flowing. This  last week I had to run to a town about an hour away from where I live to do some prom dress shopping. Well I cant go to this place with out stopping at my favorite Craft Store. I also cant go tot my favorite craft store without finding something I *need*.
This trip I found some Darice Embossing folders  so I used one of them on this card..Its called Large Petals lov ethe little dotted swirls and hearts withthe flowers embossed on to SU Melon Mambo.  I also bought a lattice border punch by EK Success.  I used them both on this card. I liked how it turned out.  The light pink is GP Pastle's Pink for the butterflies SU Sizzlet.  Certainly Celery for the leaves SU Sizzix die, Embassy Black. This card is definately a using th eStash Card. The flower gemstone I have had for 2 years, finally used it!  have more I need to use.
Until Later ...Happy Stamping!

Retro Robo Birthday Card

So I need to get my stash of cards restocked...funny how it has drained itself the last few years while I have been so busy! Now I just need my routine back on track. Today I made this cute little card for a little boy. It was fun I dont  know why I dont get to do this more often!
I finally got to use my "Robotz" Cricut cart  which I just love...I also took a closer look at it today; I didnt realize it actually made a ton of 3D Robot boxes.  I might have to give one of them a try when my Card stash is replenished.  I used my stash box...I finally found it... amazingly I couldn't find it last week when I needed the green strips for the daisy card..so my Craft Space memory is improving...and the Mojo is starting to flow a little better.
  For this card I used pieces of  SU: Night of Navy, Certainly Celery, GP white. The black is Embassy, the light purple and a textured gray, sorry I cant remember.  I used SU Birthday Whimsy to stamp.. and QuiKutz EF's  Retro Diamonds and Polka Dots....I used Cuttlebug: Diamond Plate. After assembling all the pieces I realized that I hadn't done anything for the background. I remembered my DCWV Latte designer paper, becasue it had all the colors in it.  Luckily I had a large enough piece of stash that didnt look flowery and actually looks pretty good with the diamond and circle theme going on.
Last of all I put the pieces together and wished I had some little gear shaped metal brads becasue the wording looked lonely.  I remebered I owned a Creative Memories Hexagon Punch. so with that and a 1/4" handheld circel punch I managed to make some nuts. I hope you Like it!
Until Later...Happy Stamping!

Cards for a Friend!

I thought I should come a post a set of cards I made for a friend recently. I had regifted a card to a common friend and she loved the saying from the retired SU set Sweet Serendipity. The main problem I had was I didnt own the set. I found one available on ebay but wasnt going to be home at the closing time to bid on it. My dear friend Wendy managed to buy it for me ebay. She sent it to me and I made the cards. A really team effort. I have wondered why I didnt buy the set before I love the sayings on it. The friend who asked me if she could pay me to make a card has lived in many different places over the years and wanted to send one to a friend. I thought she might need more than one so I made her six. I hope you enjoy them, she was so pleased to recieve them.

I am getting a bit lazier in my blogging. As if you couldn't tell, but I have deciede to just list companies in the labels. If you need to know something specific ask..If I get a lot of request maybe I will go back to posting them, but right now it just seems like a lot of extra effort. Right now I am working on some scrapbook items hopefully I will have somethingto show for it soon.



Hope you enjoy the cards...Until Later Happy Stamping!

 

 

Hearts for a Friend

I needed to get a card off to a friend, and I have been wanting to use Chocolate Chip and Pink for a color combo for a valentine. I am so rusty at card making I feel making announcements and over a hundred favors has let my card making skills get rusty...

I have been trying to get back inthe habit of making Challenge cards also so the Ways to Use it Challenge on Thursday was perfect and inspired me to "cut something out" which added a little bit to this card. I used my Cuttlebug alot the small flower is a CB die"flowers", the medallion is From their 2x2 called "Fancy Squares" and the SU:Pink Pirouette is embossed with Victoria and the SU:Chocolate Chip with Swissdots. The ribbon is some I picked up last fall from Walmart a double stitched Offray Grosgrain.

This went together quickly, I think I am still rusty on card making though cause I am not sure how much I like the way I did the sentiment. I like the little cut out doublelayered heart but uncertain aboutthe rest...I think My firend will like it though so it will do for now.

Until Later ...Happy Stamping!

Hello

Well its been over a month since I made a post..I have been under the weather again...I had about 10 days of being healthy and then I went out of town and came home sick and that has been the case since...using my energy to get things done that I had to do. I used mostly. Basic Black, Yo Yo Yellow, Perfect Plum, Only Orange, GP White, and Chocolate Chip to make a few Halloween Birthday cards a few weeks ago. The images are an old ghost and Witch from Hambo Stamps I got a few years ago, the sentiment comes from an KiCo Clear stamp set I got a year ago at Target...

I used all my Fall Cuttlebug folders and a few others...and My Martha Stewart Border punches, and Marvy corner punch.

My other DD got engaged and so I am working on her wedding stuff for her early Jan. wedding.

Someone asked if it was a new tradition in my family...I hope not!

I am hoping to feel well enough soon to get a routine going ..Its a little draining being sick so long... I hope you enjoy the cards. I hope to have more to share with you soon..I am just glad I found time to post them before Halloween.

Happy Stamping!

"Belle Birthday" for Julia

I used my Cricut to make a Birthday Card for my
nieces Birthday. She loves
"Belle"! I chose to use my
"Dreams Come True" cartridge and cut Belle3 out for her! Tiny Princesses are definately a challenge. Her lips and the whites of her eyes were so tiny. I cut her out at 3 1/2"!
I usually don't cut them out so small, but it did need to fit on the card. I chose to use a gel pen to dot the one eye and the lips... all of the other pieces seemed to be manageable.
For cardstock I used: the white (leftover from the wedding announcements..it is ultra smooth and similar to Whisper White), "Black"and a "Yellow" both fromboth by cardstock package Ampad from Wal-mart Stationary, a brown from Paper Co Nuetrals package purchased at Michaels. Just a note on the "yellow",I tried using other Yellows like So Saffron and Barely Banana and Summer Sun but they didnt quite go together to give the "Belle" look... this one worked perfect with SU "Yo Yo Yellow" which I used for the trim. Her flesh is a beige' pink I picked up in single sheets at Michaels. Her lips a lovely Ruby Red. I think she turned out very cute. Behind her I used Certainly Celery and my Stylized Flower Embossing Folder. I then used Martha Stewart TearDrop pads in Dandelion, Melon, Bamboo, and to sponge the light color on the background. Then I used my Fiskars Squeeze Corner punch to dress up the corners. The Picot Ribbon is jafray and was tied around the panel before I attached it to the black base. I used my SU Word Window Punch and "Teeny Tiny Verses" to add the sentiment stamped in "Jet Black" StazOn. The white layer is mounted on Dimmesionals and a KCo. gem stone in light yellow was added.
Last of all, I used my pink 1/2" Bind it All corner rounder on the card base corners.

I hope my niece likes it...Until Later... Happy Stamping!

Birthday's for the Boys

I need 6 masculine Birthday Cards for the first 2 weeks of Aug...I was feeling a bit overwhelmed because I started working on them Aug 1st, some of them are going to arrive inthe mail a little late. I decided to make 6 of the same card! Did I ever mention I hate coming up with ideas for masculine cards!

My girls were at camp all week; it made me think of my "bear" from the "Under the Stars" SU Set. I love to water color this bear with H2O painters and my Watercolor Wonder Crayons..I love those things..I used Chocolate Chip, More Mustard and a bit of Creamy Caramel to ground him. I need to get where I cut out a few little mask for the teeth so they stay nice and white, or vanilla in this case, especially if I do 6 cards! I got a little lazy with the painting. I use a very thin color and keep adding more on the sides I want shaded darker until I get the color I want. I am pushing and pulling the color depending on how wet it is and sometimes the pushing gets a little sloppy.

For the cardstock I chose to use the new Dusty Durango...(I really like this color), Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip. For the "bear" panel I chose to cut the Chocolate Chip about 3/4" longer than the image. I used my SU paper piercer guide to mark the edges of the cs every other hole starting one hole below the image. I wanted the SU linen thread to stay separated and be more defined. I then used my 1/8th circle punch to punch abt a half of the circle out on the edges where I marked withthe piercer. I really like the linen on Masculine cards. I used Very Vanilla Cardstock for the base of my card and all the stamped images...I think I have been doing that alot lately. I sent the Durango and the Artichoke through my cuttlebug using the mosaic and Leafy Branch folders. The sentiment comes form SU "Teeny Tiny Verses" set.

Until Later ... Happy Stamping!

Watercolor Garden in Lime

Oh another wonderful stampset I picked up and havent used yet...

I embossed the flowers with Clear embossing powder after stamping with Lime Versa Color. I got this

color a few years ago for a camp and havent used it much since..I got this cute ribbon I wanted to try a single stitch of Lime in a Brown ribbon..Used Chocolate Chip before I figured out the two browns were different. I decided on this Sheer dotted jaffray organza I picked up at Wal-mart. It looked best withthe Lime Ink. I used the center from heartfelt thanks to stamp the Chocolate Chip dots and centers...I wanted a completely closed center. I used my double punch Su punch to punch the holes along a line I drew ont he card and then threaded the ribbon through it...I like how the card turned out and It will be on its way today.

Unil Later ...Happy Stamping!

Summer By the Sea Anniversary

I recently picked up this new to me, retired Stamp Set(from SU), at a sale.

I love to watercolor images and I was in need of 6 Anniversary cards..This stamp set seemed to be screaming to be used.

I first embossed the images using Versa mark and Black Embossing powder, a tip I learned from Dawn... makes for a really nice outline.

I watercolored the images using my Watercolor Wonder Crayons and my H2O painters. Here are the 6 images.

I originally intended to do use the Ske

tch Challenge for the week on SCS with these cards, but the image was too large to accomodate. I just used some of the elements of the sketch. I used various colored Cardstock Black from a pkg. I picked up at Walmart...it's thinner but great when you have lots of layers. I used either, Not quite Navy, Night of Navy or Ridinghood Red for the base piece. I used the "Script" Cuttlebug folder and then wiped midnight black Dew drop over the top. I intended this to be upright, but brcause of sizing I had to improvise. I used Garden Green csrd stock and Floral Screen in the Cuttlebug, then used my SU 1 3/8" square punch. I used my MM distressor to distress the edges of the image and sentiment panels. After matting I pierced two holes and used my Clear Impressions Matte brads in Black. I like these brads! They come convientently in a package of 100 matte black and brown brads. I use these two colors the most, so I find it very handy. I also like the matte finish. On the inside of the card I used the other sentiment for the inside of the card, it says.. "I wish you Happiness Always"...the perfect sentiment for an anniversary card.
I loved stamping tonight it was fun!
Until later ...Happy Stamping!

Baja Beauty

I needed to make a card for a friend that will be having surgery soon. I have been seeing a lot of different techniques and coloring styles done with the rose from 5th Ave Floral so I thought I'ld give it a go. I tell you, I have tried and done about every technique I could think of to this rose. I finally got his look. Cant really help you out repeating it..I can tell you what I did if you want a good laugh. First, I clear embossed on a glossy photo paper. That part went really well. I wanted to do the reinker floating done with alcohol but also was too lazy to dig out the reinkers so I colored with Bashful Blue, bordering blue with my markers and then dabbed a little Baja Blue reinker it was handier to dig out... then Whoops I sprayed with Cleaning solution instead of Alcohol...Then it caked a bit because of the film. I wiped the entire image with a sponge and a little more Baja ink...ended up with a little color left on the rose... but I got the film removed from the rose so I heat dried it with my embossing gun...so I colored again, used the aqua painter and ink from the stamp pad and a little with the markers randomly where ever the whim took me. Then I sprayed alcohol on the ink and dabbed with paper towel and dried with the heat tool again... Still too light!!!... so I took the brayer and rolled Baja over the image a few times and sponged and finagled and heat set and ended up with the rose you see... so you see it is totally a piece of Art...

I then took a piece of Baja card stock slightly larger than the finished size on the card and stamped with versamark and heat set with clear embossing powder then repeated several times to get the look of the background. I then trimmed it to size and matted with Perfect Plum. Trimming the final base piece so an 1/8" of the white cardstock would show as a border. I feel it helped accent the white Jaffray ribbon tied around the Baja Blue background. I mounted the trimmed "Rose Art work" on dimensionals. The stamped sentiment is from Upsy Daisy and it was stamped in Perfect Plum and matted with Perfect Plum. I deided it needed a purple gemstone and some Baja blue to accent by being sponged around the edge. Good Luck if you try to case it, hopefully you'll get your own unique looking Rose Art work..

Until later ...Happy Stamping!

A Graduation Card

In a little over a week one of My 5th DD will be graduating from High School! Can you believe it. I am so proud of her accomplishments.. She has been an excellent scholar and a great friend and person to everyone..She is such an example to me of what People should really be like and how they should treat people. A few of her friends are graduating as well as other kids from Church and my niece. So I was in need of about 8 Graduation cards.. So I mass produced them. I used my DD's school colors Purple(from a Michaels assorted Purple Pack by Paper Co...Stash!!!) and White (GP White from Wal-mart) since the majority of grads I am giving to go to the same High School.

The Black is a Paper Pack from Michael's also. I used QuiKuts to cut the Grad Cap out and added a Black clear impressions matte Brad to the Cap. I printed the "Class of 2009" on my computer and punched it and the matting out with my SU circle punches. I mounted it on Dimensionals. I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the "Congrats" background, doesnt it have the perfect sentiment for a grad card..everythign your feeling all in one panel. I used my ticket corner punch thinking isnt a graduationa ticket to the rest of your life! A white gel pen was used to make the little white Dots and the ribbon is from a micro spool I picked up at my local craft store. I love this satiny stripped 1/2"ribbon. ...another simple card but when you need to make 8 of something, Simple is a good thing.

Until later ...Happy Stamping!

CTL Gift Tin and Cards

CTL stands for "Choose to Lose"! for the past 8 weeks nine of us have faithfully been weighing and measuring once a week and in a team effort trying to be the biggest losers..Everyone reported their losses in Inches and punds to me. So I felt everyone deserved a little reward. Last week I mailed out these little reward tins and cards. I had a lot of fun making them and I enjoyed using the Gable Green and Pixie Pink Cards stock..colors I dont normally use. I used my Tart and Tangy Strawberry and my SU Markers to color and stamp the strawberries. I stamped extra tops and cut them out and mounted them on dimensionals for the little 2 dimensional berries. I used my SU circle punches and Scalloped circle punch to mat the berries and then used a sheet of SU designer paper for the pinkbanding and strip ont he card. D'vine swirls was used once again because I love it..If you have a cuttlebug you must have this Embossing folder...I ran out of Pixie Pink for matting the cards so I used a bright Pink From my Cardstock stash.

I filled the tins with stuff I bought and with lots of my stash of Brads..and yes it barely made a dent in the stash of brads! My goal to use more of my Stash is happily continuing this month...Yeah! The 8 tins were part of my Stash as well, as the Pink and Lime Green ribbon used around the tins... Do you remember the colors from the last two years of Girls Camps...I believe some Hot Pink gem stones made it into the tins also..I hope they like them.

Until Later ...Happy Stamping!

Oops..A Mothers Day Card

Okay this post I probably should have made time for before Mothers day. I was really pleased with how it turned out. I used always Artichoke in my leafy Branch Cuttlebug folder and then free hand cut it out and into leafy pieces to piece around the image and sentiments. I colored the flower with my prisma colors and a blender pen with solution. I matted with Black and then used my MM slot and die tool to cut a hole on the edge of the flower & "Y" of the sentiment to poke the stem of the leaves through.I used Dimensionals to give added depth. The mini Micro brads in black are from Queen Co.

I used Tangerine Tango and Embossed with D'vine Swirl.

Even though its late I hope you think Itwas worth the wait.

Until Later...Happy Stamping!

Tart and Tangy Birthday

I got a new Stampset recently so I used it to make this Birthday card.

I used so Saffron for the base of the card and for matting. I added some panels of Chocolate Chip and I stamped in tangerine tango. The brads are MM tropicals. I used some torn paper to mask the sentiment panel why I stamped the orange shape and then stamped the Birthday sentiment from Upsy Daisy. I sponged alot with Chocolate Chip after stamping on Card stock multiple times with the Orange stanp form Tart and Tangy. I cut the panels and then embossed with my Cuttlebug the one white panel after stamping and the Chocolate Chip panel using "Swiss Dots".

This was a fun card to make. Hope you like it. Sorry Its taken me so long to catch up on posting. I opted to use my spare time to Stamp instead of type...Hopefully by Mid June after my Family reunion and my DD's HS graduation I'll have time to do both the crafting and the posting on a regualr basis.

Untillater ...Happy Stamping!

Friends Forever Card

I used the Sentiment from Upsy Daisy, and a red gemstone

cut from a christmas "Ho Ho Ho" I got at Target a few years ago by Me & My Big Ideas. The Card stock is SU Chocolate Chip and Ridinghood Red, and GP white. I embossed using my "Friends Forever" cuttlebug folder and then sponged the edges and the embossing with my Dew Drop in "Moonlight white".

I like how the embossing turned out I need to try this technique again. I really like the simpleness of this CB folder.

I hope you like this card also.

Until Later ... Happy Stamping!

I've Been Busy

I have been busy with a gazillion projects in and

around my house, and my craft room for weeks now. I have been taking pictures but I have had no time to make a post on my blog...

I noticed so far this year I have managed to make 5-6 post a month to my Blog..but so far this month a big fat zero...I hope to post at least 5 before June first.

Early in the month I made a lot of Birthday cards using a similar theme and the Sweet Stems stampset from SU.

they were fun to make and I had a lot of fun. I colored the images with my prisma colors and used my colorless blender pencil to help blend the colors.

If you have a question post it here and I'll answer your questions on colors. the sentiment is from Upsy Daisy. I used my martha Stewart lace doiley border puunch on the one card. the various ribbon is Offray from Wal-mart. I have used Swiss Dots, Textile, D'vine Swirl, Floral Fantasy, Floral Screen, Cuttlebug folders. I also used various, gemstones from different manufacturers but most are Hero Arts. The Black Cardstock is form a package at Michaels, the White is GP white cardstock from Michaels, and the colors are all SU.

Until Later ...Happy Stamping!

PS: I have successfully typed 6 blog post for the next 6 days... so please come back and check them out...hopefully we will be on a roll leading into June!

A Fun Card

I dont know what to say about this card I just sat down and created it. I used "5th Ave Floral" I have really wanted to practice coloring the rose image so this is my second attempt. I out lined alot with my Red water color pencil and then used my H2O water painters to blend and paint. I used Real Red Always Artichoke, some old DP I have ahd laying around for quite some time and my textile and Dvine swirl CUttlebug folders. I cut hte circle using my Creative memorie circle cutters using the red and blue blade around the outside of the smallest circle. I stmped the sentiment also and then Sponged it with Creamy Caramel to blend better with the DP. I used some Dark Pink tropical MM brads. I didnt have any Red ones...I guess I have used them up but I felt this color ma

tched the lighter areas on the rose image. I used my Paper piercer to alling the hole for the brads. the rose was cut out by hand and mounted on dimensionals.

I am really curious to hear what you think about this card.

Until later... Happy Stamping!

Anniversary Cards

I had so much fun making cards the other night for my CCRak Group. I try to keep up on all the Birthdays and Anniversaries. I havent had too many Anniversary Cards to make lately but that is starting to pick up since its Spring and Summer.

I wanted to make a Black and White Card with a touch of Real Red.... so here is what I came up with.

I used my Anniversary set an old Clearstamp $ set from Michaels. The sentiment is Best Yet.Both are stamped in Adorondike Pitch Black Ink. I colored the tie with my Real Red SU Marker. I liked the sentimnet for an Anniversary Card. I added the three dots on the sentiment and decided to repeat it with brads. On the inside of the card I wrote Happy Anniversary along with a note. For the cards I used some old Black Paper that I had lying around from and All Black Package at Michaels...Yes I am still working on reducing that infamous stash that gets aquired much quicker than I can get rid of it. I assure you I have bought more paper the last few months than I have used making cards! I used my Textiles Cuttlebug folder to emboss the white piece of CS thought it would look alittle like lace. then I matted it withBlack after attachign the 1/4" Red Offray ribbon, I am sure it was a Wal-Mart Purchase...again using the stash. These are very simple but I think they turned out really nice...I am loving my ATG by the way incase anyone was wondering I highly recommend them for economic reasons...My SIL sells them at ther store Crop and Stick! Check it out!They are on sle right now and your first 60 yrd roll of tape is free! If you get one let them know I referred you. No special reason because I am not getting anything for it...I just love mine and after having to alwasy wait to buy more little tape rollers I decided that for the money I would spend so much less on adhesive if I had an ATG.

Until Later ...Happy Stamping!

2 Masculine Birthday Cards

I have finally managed to work stamping into my schedule..at the beginning of April I decided to go on a diet and exercise program to lose weight... the 30 min of exercise was leaving me very tired and drained, but I have perserved for a few weeks now and I am starting to get my energy back I am upto 45 Min of exercise on my treadmill and I am so being faithful to eating correctly. Finally this week I have managed to make a few cards and now I am trying to squeeze blogging into the schedule. It seems as I lose weight and exercise more my ability to get things done quicker is improving. I am also finding it harder to sit in one place for too long... Ithink my metabolism is picking up. I think it was at a stand still. I am doing a lot more. I have a long way to go to be the weight I should be...my goal right now is to just get where according to a BMI Chart I can say I am not obese...just over weight.



Here are the two cards I made for my Nephews..One is turning 25 and the other is turning 11.

I chose to use Wildlife Reserve I really like it for masculine cards. My Cardstock choices were Basic Gray and Always Artichoke. I colored the images with my Prismas and felt AA went well with the greens in the images. These are basic cards. I used my SU Punches for the squares. and mounted them on dimensionals..Didnt add Ribbons or frills in hopes of keeping them more masculine. I used "Argyl" and "Dimonds in the Rough" cuttlebug folders to add some texture to the backgrounds. I hope you like them.

...Until Later... Happy Stamping!

Birthday Duo

I tried making a few Birthday cards the other day but didnt like how they turned out so I unassembled the panels becasue I liked them and thought I'll try again another day. Last night I sat down and just stared at my stuff...such a shame to come home from being out of town ...and feel like you left your Crafty Mojo on Vacation! Thisd morning after exercising I sat down again. and Walla I made the two Birthday Cards I needed for my Dad and BIL. I used the SAB stamp set Polkadot Punch Outs and One of a Kind. SU Ink in Pumkin Pie and Ballet Blue was used on GP Cardstock to make the Stamped layer. I used some old paperbilities Value pack Orange with Ballet Blue to mat and make the other panels. I think I am doing really well using up my old stash. I cuttlebug embossed with Dvine Swirls and Floral Print and then sponged with a dew drop in Moonlight White. I used Upsy Daisy for the Sentiment and raised it on dimensionals. The panels are different widths, but basically the cards are the same.

Until Later ...Happy Stamping!