Birthday Wishes for a Friend!

I still had some more papers and elements from the Made to Bloom card kit that needed using.  I put my thinking cap on to design another alternative design of my own using the green patterned paper provided. 

 
Since I needed a birthday card for a friend I decided this would be the theme.  I added a Blackberry Bliss card base and a gold foil mat layer beneath the green pattern.  I used the gold foil edged scallop banner and applied the flowers similar to the card design provided, but with added layering and sparkly center gems.  I fussy-cut and inked-edge distressed the flowers, layered them, dressed them up with acrylic glitter glaze centers and a Goosebump Gem colored to simulate Blackberry Bliss with Copic markers.  At the base of the scalloped banner, I  stamped the "Birthday Wishes" sentiment onto a scalloped die cut matted with a larger gold foil scalloped die-cut to change the finishing edge of the banner and its look.

Take a look at my friend's finished birthday card, inside and out...I think she will enjoy it!  It is a good way to keep in touch as we have not been able to socialize since Covid started.

Ingredients:  Cardstock--Blackberry Bliss, Gold Foil. Kit--Made to Bloom Kit (2019 Occ.). Stamps--Fancy Phrases. Dies--SU Layering Oval Framelits. Sargent Acrylic Glitter Glaze. Queen & Co.--Twinkle Goosebump Gems (Copic colored). ColorBox Chestnut Roan Ink Edge Distressing. EK punch--Victorian Corner. Chatterbox computer verse. Size: 4-3/4x6-inches.

A Shen Yun Celebration!

I've been intrigued by the wonderful cards being posted on Splitcoaststampers for the Alphabet Challenge, Letter "J" for JUNK.  Some fabulous creations can be seen from collages of pieces of "junk" possibly ready to be thrown out, to magazine pictures, junk mail, old envelopes, package wrapping, etc.  There are "junk" backgrounds, "junk" collage cards and mini-albums, elements made from "junk" throw-aways, etc.  I have been saving a beautiful picture and advertisement about the upcoming Shen Yun ballet to be performed in the Seattle area in April that I received several months ago for just for this kind of challenge "junk" challenge.  

It would be my dream to attend with my "girls," which includes my two daughters, my daughter-in-law and myself.  I was hoping I might feel comfortable enough to attend and buy tickets for all of us to celebrate our birthdays past that we have missed due to Covid.  I remember several such festive occasions to the ballet, to musical plays, etc. in years past!  So, here is my card depicting my dream night out made into a birthday celebration card, which would be perfect with those tickets enclosed as a birthday gift:

Ingredients:  SU Cardstocks--Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo. Recollections Glitter Paper (Copic colored). Celebrate die. SU Curvy Corner Trio punch. Recollections Colored Pearls.  Shen Yun Advertisement Picture. Colorbox Chestnut Roan Ink (ink edge distressing).  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

You Can NEVER Have Too Much Happy!

My friend and former co-worker's birthday falls right after Christmas, and here is another example of missing birthday cards due to my loss of creative mojo during Covid!  I was determined to make a card for her this year as I've finally gotten myself been back to my craft table after an 18 mos. hit & miss hiatus!  It was definitely time to get out of my funk!

My friend and I worked together as a team for 13 years as elementary school office staff.  One of our major functions each year was school start-up in my role as the elementary school office manager and she as the student registrar.  A favorite fun thing we looked forward to each year was welcoming our new little kindergarteners with their smiling, happy little faces and cute antics.

With this in mind, I thought she would really enjoy a kindergarten art easel shape for her birthday card.  I remembered an easel template that I've had in my stash for several years, but it was smaller than I wanted as I prefer cards that are 4-3/4 x 6-inches.  Before getting started, I enlarged the template dimensions.  I am really please with my finished easel card.  Take a look below at my finished card with its inside design and my verse completed on the computer! 

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up Products:  Cardstock--Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Crisp Cantaloupe, Soft Sky.  Stamps--Yippee Skippee (sentiment), Hardwood BG. Dies--Floral Fusion Sizzilit. Ink--Baked Brown Sugar, Staz-On White. Patterned Paper--scraps. Punch--Banner. Linen Thread. Basic Pearl--minis. Other: EK punch--Victorian Corners 

Being Strong!

My brother recently lost his wife quite suddenly and unexpectedly!  It was a shock to all of us.  I wanted to send him a Thinking of You card to let him know I'm keeping him in my prayers and thought each and everyday!

This is a CASE of a card designed by Liz Thayer for her class that I attended way back in the fall of 2013.  It has been lurking in my "To Do" stash of partially completed cards needing to be finished.  I made some of my own modifications and changes to enlarge the card, add a bit of sparkle, and change the sentiment as well.  I added a new Natural Ivory card base plus a dark brown glitter mat layer to the already existing Crumb Cake mat layer and my card became a thinking of you card rather than a thank you card.  I also decorated the inside and added my own computer-made verse.

I'm really pleased with the added layers and glitter paper.  It really dressed up the card a lot.  I think my brother will be pleased with his card and really like the inside verse, as it fits the occasion perfectly.  Take a peek below at the finished card inside and out.

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Naturals Ivory, Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue. Ink--Crumb Cake, Early Espresso. Stamps--Truly Grateful stamps (circle bg, acorns-2013 Holiday). Dies--Window Framelits Collection ((2013-14 Annual). Embossing Folder--Stylish Stripes. Festive Paper Piercing Pack. 1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon. Linen Thread. Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.  Other:  Recollections Signature 12" Assorted Glitter Pad (dark brown). EK punch: Victorian Corner.

A Sunny Hello for a Fast Recovery!

I wanted to participate in the SCS Teapot Tuesday Challenge--6/22/21 for the husband of SCS friend, Sharon Madson.  Larry broke his hip recently and is feeling rather housebound and in need of cheering up, and I have the perfect card that I started back in August last year but stopped almost immediately.  It is  from my very first Paper Pumpkin card kit, entitled A Box of Sunshine...une boîte de soleil.  I stopped because I knew I couldn't just follow the kit design...it needed more layers to satisfy me.  I didn't have the right supplies with me, because I was on a crafting trip with my Mom and sister in Oregon. 

 
I'm remembered this card that I never got back to finishing because of the challenge requirements...it is the perfect cheerful Hello card to put a smile on Larry's face. Though I remember the challenge requirements for a cheerful, thinking of you, hello, hugs, and etc. card, what I did not remember was that our challenge hostess wanted us to think French when making our cards as well.  Suggestions were to think Eiffel Tower, French flag...blue, white, and red, French wine/cheese, a French painter, a French singer or song, etc.  She even provided a French song/ video, La Tendresse by Bourvil that we might use as inspiration, but it didn't inspire a sun-themed card, and I was determined to use the sunshine/ hello card I had in mind. 

I had an idea that led me to search for a possible French song that would inspire a sun-themed card.  I found a lovely song that really enchanted me entitled, The French Song...When the Sun Says Good-day to the Mountains sung by Lucille Starr.  It a beautiful song, and I played and listened to the video/song several times while completing Larry's card.  The song has stuck with me (in the English version, but I actually prefer it in French ), and I find it replaying in my head at odd times of the day!

I've successfully added two more layers comprising a new black cardbase and a golden dot panel below the sun rays paper provided by the kit.  I really like how the black makes the sunshine and black dotted paper POP.  My only other change was to drop my horizontal band and sun a tad lower...I thought it balanced the card better.  Take a peek at Larry's card...I hope it lifts his spirits and he like it!

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock--Basic Black, Whisper White.  Kit--June 2020 Paper Pumpkin/ Box of Sunshine--Gold metallic sun ray paper, stamps (Hello), sun diecut, black/white dotted strip, fishtail banner.  Artistry in Bloom sequins.  Other:  Patterned paper layer--Pebbles Basic 12x12 Paper Pad (dots).  Colorbox Ink--Chestnut Roam (ink distressing).  EK punch--Victorian Corners.  Chatterbox computer verse.  Size--4-3/4 x 6-inches.

A Ballerina for Amara's Birthday, Too!

My oldest son's fiance has two adult children. Her daughter has a daughter who was born between my granddaughter #2 and granddaughter #3.  She is a wee little thing, and my granddaughter #3, who is five months younger, is at least three inches taller!  We consider Amara our adopted granddaughter #4, and she needed a birthday card for her second birthday in early June.  Needless to say, she needed a ballerina birthday card as well!

To decide what colors her ballerina would feature, I asked what colors of clothing Amara looked the very best in...the answer was turquoise (aqua) and yellow.  So, a two-tone card Amara would get.  I used an SU retired Tempting Turquoise cs and Crushed Curry.  patterned paper I chose was a little pale, so I sponged Daffodil Delight ink over the surface.  Since I made the last ballerina card for Evie, I purchased the body parts that I spoke of in the first ballerina card made (see it here: A Ballerina Birthday for Callie!); therefore, this little girl has real arms and a real torso, and legs, which are hidden below her clothing!  Other than these added body-shaped parts, there is very little difference in construction.  Take a peek below at Ballerina card #4 in light turquoise and yellow:

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock--Crushed Curry, Tempting Turquoise (ret.), Whisper White.  Patterned Paper--All Abloom dsp stack (2014-15).  Ink: Daffodil Delight (sponging).  Pearls-mini--Copic colored.  Other:  DCWV Glitter stack--Turquoise-oval frame/ Yellow-skirt.  American Crafts POW--Marine Glitter paper (bodice/ balloon).  Dies--Alina Crafts--Ballerina, Doll Body Set; Spellbinders--Floral Ovals, Petite Ovals Large; Lawn Fawn--Party Balloons; MemoryBox--Varsity Numbers; Autone dies (Amazon): Balloon Message Strings (happy birthday sentiment). EK punch--Victorian Corners (inside).  Ribbon--Offray 1/2" Turquoise Organza (lengthwise 1/2 cut).  Copic Markers.  Wink of Stella: Black   Stash--Balloon strings--Lyon Sparkly Mini Yarn; Glitter Tulle--turquoise/ yellow.  Chatterbox Verse.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6-1/4".

A Little Pink Ballerina for Sienna!

 I've now finished my second ballerina card, and this one is for my second granddaughter.  They get to be granddaughter #1, #2, and #3, by their age.  Callie, who was just 4, is granddaughter #1.  Sienna, who was just 2, is granddaughter #2, and Evie, who is 16 mos., is granddaughter #3.  I love them all dearly, and I'm sure you know, their number has nothing to do with how much I dearly love them!  All clever, cute, and darling girls for sure!

So, I missed making Sienna's first birthday card, as I was just returning from several trips to California, just in time to attend her birthday party, but not get a card done!  Within 5 days of her birthday party,  Covid arrived in Washington...the first state with a Covid case, then schools closed, gatherings closed, restaurants closed, and life became anything but normal!   It seems everything stopped, even my creative mojo and ability to get myself to my crafting table stopped!  I think we were all in shock, and my husband and I were certainly in the age range where every precaution was needed!  I am happy to say...a year later, both my husband and I have received the vaccine, and we are looking forward to an end of the pandemic!  At least we can now socialize with our family members who are vaccinated...we are almost to 75% of our immediate family at this point.

I am also happy to say that I have finally made little Sienna her card for Birthday #1 to save in her memory box...a homemade card from Grandma in honor of her first birthday!  Sienna dressed in a darling little frilly pink birthday dress, so it was only right that her card should be pink...and with her very blonde hair, her ballerina surely must have yellow hair.  I followed the construction instructions provided on Callie's purple ballerina card, and here is that link:  A Ballerina for Callie! if you are interested in the ballerina's construction.  Take a peak below at Sienna's sweet little pink ballerina:

Ingredients:   SU cardstock: Melon Mambo, Whisper White.  ColorBok Glitter Paper: Glacier Springs/ White.  Little Yellow Bicycle Patterned Paper: Baby Safari Girl--Pink Floral/ Girl Small Squares.  Bazzill: Hot Pink Foil.  Gemstone Shimmer Cardstock: Rose Quartz. Alina dies--Ballerina. Spellbinders dies: Floral Ovals, Petite Ovals Large.  Lawn Fawn die: Party Balloons.  MemoryBox die: Varsity Numbers.  Savvy die:  Happy Birthday cursive.  Rose Glitter tulle (stash).  Offray ribbon: Hot Pink Organdy.  SU: Pearl minis.  Wink of Stella: Clear (hair sheen).  Size: 4-3/4" x 6-1/4".

A Ballerina Birthday for Callie!

March is a time to celebrate two granddaughter's birthdays as their actual birth dates are only two days apart.  Callie is my oldest granddaughter, and it will be her fourth birthday.  I have been so out of mojo for over a year that she did not get a Grandma birthday card for year three! Since a bit of my creative mojo has returned, I wanted to make a very special card for her for birthday #4.  

A friend made me a "Thinking of You" step card during my hand surgery recoveries, and I loved the card so much, I borrowed the die, thinking Callie would love it.  What little girl wouldn't...its a ballerina!  I've since decided I need to make one for each of my other two granddaughter's in different colors and different patterned papers.

The die is from Alina Crafts, and I found some YouTube videos on construction using the die.  It turns out that it's meant to be used with a companion body-parts die, which can be used with a variety of other theme and wardrobe  "people" dies.  The die comes as one main die including the head, hair, neck, upper body, and flowery vine tutu skirt.  It also has dies that cut out the dress bodice, ballerina slippers, and the eyes and cheeks.  I didn't like the way the video put the face and hair parts together...let's just say, to me, it was weird.  So, of course, I had to do my own thing, which I've tried to explain below the card picture.  And,  voilà, here is my finished card!  I think Callie will love it! 

Note:  Inside & outside are identical shades...somehow camera lighting didn't take it that way!

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock--Gorgeous Grape, Purple Posie; Punch--Detailed Trio; Pearls-mini; Rhinestones--Copic colored.  Other:  Papers--K&Co. mini floral (from Stash); Paper Adventures--Dazzle Purple-Pink Stripes; Colorbox--White Glitter paper.  Dies:  Alina Crafts--Ballerina; Spellbinders--Floral Ovals, Petite Ovals Large; Lawn Fawn--Party Balloons; MemoryBox--Varsity Numbers.  Balloon strings--Lyon Sparkly Mini Yarn.  Stash--Flower Gems.  Chatterbox Verse.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6-1/4"

Ballerina Construction:

Die-Cutting/ Punching/ Fussy-Cutting:
1) Die-cut the chest/ skirt die (and the ballerina slipper dies) from purple foil, leaving off the head and neck.  2) Using this same die, out of flesh-colored cardstock, die-cut two sets of heads with chest down to the waist...do NOT include the "skirt."  3) Die-cut a third flesh-colored cardstock head/ hair rounding the lower edge of the face without a neck.  This piece will be the "final" face for the ballerina.  4) Die-cut the head/hair only from black cardstock for the hair.  5) Using the eye/cheek die, out of black cardstock, die-cut the "eyes."  6) Using the bodice die, die-cut the dress top out of a sparkly lavender cardstock.  You could use glimmer paper, but I wanted a little less sparkle than that.  7) Again, using the eye/cheek die, you could die-cut the cheeks using pink cardstock, which is what Alina intended to be done.  I decided to use Copic marker coloring/ shading on all flesh colored areas that would show when the ballerina is complete: the face, neck, upper torso, and arms flesh.  I also Copic-coloring rosy cheeks and added a white gel pen dot rather than using pink half-circle die-cuts.  I also added Copic-colored blue eye shadow.

There were no dies for the lower body, legs, arms, or a leotard, so I fashioned my own.   1) Using a retired SU Small Oval punch (3/4" x 15/16") for the arms (with an arms behind the back look), punch one oval from flesh-colored cardstock.  2) Using the same oval punch, punch out the leotard from same sparkly cardstock used for dress bodice.  3) Using a retired SU Large Oval punch (1-3/4" x 7/8"), punch one large oval  from the flesh-colored cardstock for the lower body (hips) and legs.  4) Turn this large punched oval vertically.  Leave one end of the oval as is for the hips.  5) Fussy-cut and shape legs with pointed toes from the other end of the oval.  Now, it was time to put my body parts together!  

Head/ Hair/ Face/ Upper Body & Arms:

1) I adhered the two head/ upper body flesh pieces together to form a stronger upper body unit.  2) I trimmed 1/16" around the head/hair down just to the neck.  3) I trimmed 1/16" along the chest/ upper body along the sides from shoulders to waist.  The head/hair was done so when the third "head/ face" flesh piece was added this double thickness would not show...only the top third layer would show and its round without a neck would form the chin.  The sides of the chest/ upper body edges were trimmed to allow the flesh cardstock Small Oval to form the shoulders and arms, looking like she was putting her arms behind her back.  4) I  Copic-colored/ shaded the face at this step and I did the same to the neck and chest of the two-layer piece.   5) I adhered this third Copic-colored face (hair, which did not need to be Copic colored or shaded) to the double-thick body making sure the head fit nicely on top and formed a "chin".  Now, my head is 3-layers thick!  6) I trimmed off just a bit of the flesh cardstock around the edges of the hair area so that none of the flesh color would show around the edges of the black hair color.  7) I fussy-cut the black hair from the head black cardstock so it would fits nicely over the flesh-colored hair area and adhered it to the flesh-colored hair.  When it was dried, I applied Clear Wink of Stella for a bit of shine to her hair.  8) I applied a tiny bit of glue to the back of her black eye/ lashes and used tweezers for correct placement.  (Be sure you have them turned over for the correct sides of the face when applying the glue).  9) I Copic-colored her rosy cheeks and added a white gel pen dot to their centers.  10) When eye glue dried, I Copic-colored her blue eye shadow.  11) Now, I was ready to add her arms.  I Copic colored/ shaded the flesh-colored Small Oval, but didn't bother to color the center of the oval where the chest/ upper body would be glued.  I positioned the oval horizontally, fitting it behind the back so the shoulders flared out at the base of the neck and adhered it to the back of the torso with glue. 

Lower Body/ Leotard/ Legs/ Ballerina Slippers: 

My ballerine needed a lower body, leotard and legs!  1) Take the leotard...the Small Oval cut from the sparkly bodice cardstock; turn the oval vertically, and trim 1/16" off the end of the oval curve using a straight cut.  2) Fit this straight edge up to the flesh waist bottom and glued it to the lower edge of the arm oval (which you will see extending below the waist) and snug it up to the waist flesh.  3)  Turn over the ballerina and glue her "hip/legs fashioned larger oval" behind the sparkly leotard so her hips are behind the leotard and legs extend below.  4)  Adhere the ballerina slippers over her pointy toes with the wider part of the slipper down covering the "pointy toes."  Set aside your girl to thoroughly dry while you form her skirt/ dress.

  

Skirt/ Bodice Top/ Hair Bow: 
1) With the purple foil skirt/ chest die-cut, narrow the chest area, all around three sides, down to approximately 1/4" wide and 1/8" high just to waist where skirt flares out; set aside.  2) Cut 5 or 6 pieces of tulle (sparkly best) 2" long by 3" wide.  Overlay the pieces one layer over the other.  2) Using the metal die as a guide only, fussy-cut the tulle to the same shape as the die skirt and upper body.  3) Adhere the layers together with bitty glue does and larger if needed, keep the edge-shaping even along the skirt sides and upper body to form a unit.  4) Take the purple foil skirt/ chest and attached to the tulle unit to the backside of the chest (make sure no tulle shows along the "chest" part of the skirt).  5) Lift the skirt vines and streak with glue, pressing them on the tulle to attach and dry.  6)  When skirt/ tulle is dry, attach the lavender leotard and legs behind the tulle at the torso back with glue/ glue dots as needed.  7) Glue sparkly lavender bodice onto ballerina chest top and foil skirting.  8) Add 4 string pearls along waist.  9) Take a 4" to 5" piece of 1/4" sparkly ribbon and tie a bitty bow, cutting and angling its tails.  (Tip: my sheer ribbon was too wide, so I trimmed it to 1/4" width.)  10) If desired, you can add 2 bitty pearls to the bow knot area as well.

A Lucky Birthday Card!

One of my good friends and cardmaking buddies has a birthday in February. I needed to put on my thinking cap very quickly, there was no time to waste! I was going to be leaving for a four-generation get-together with my youngest granddaughter and my daughter to visit my mother in northern California. We really need to get some four-generation pictures taken while there.

In looking through my stash, I found a BINGO card in soft aqua, vanilla, and black. I love BINGO cards, so I decided with its colors, it would make a pretty feminine card. I also love to make a card style that I call vintage simple. I've named it this, because for me, it is a vintage card, but without an excess amount of extra fussy feminine this and thats that are often added. It was definitely time to breakout some fun, vintagey papers and embellishments and make a card using this style! I was excited to get started.

Between taking a peek at the Splitcoaststamper Ways to Use It challenge for the week...Button It Up, and finding our old DYMO Labelmaker about a month ago, my creative juices were beginning to flow! The challenge made it an absolute must to include buttons, as they would make perfect BINGO markers, and I decided to make the sentiment using the labelmaker and 3/8" black tape with white embossed lettering in a fishtail cut design. I have always loved that look! With the BINGO card, my color scheme would be Pool Party, Black and Very Vanilla cardstocks, along with several coordinating patterned papers.

I could not find just the right aqua flat buttons for my BINGO markers, so I decided to use clear buttons and adhere them to one of the patterned papers to jazz them up. With a dark aqua Copic marker, I drew dark aqua circles on my chosen patterned paper. I fussy-cut the paper circles and adhered the buttons in the center of the circles. Finally, I distress-frayed the edges with the sharp edge of a scissor blade. The rest of the card design fell into place quite easily, and I was really pleased with the results.

Take a peek below at my finished card inside and out. I love that perky triple-looped bow and the labelmaker tape sentiment! Don't you think my friend will be happy with her lucky birthday card?!

Ingredients: SU cardstock--Basic Black, Pool Party, Very Vanilla, SU Color Collection dsp (2014/2015/2016 - Pool Party Dots), Patterned paper scraps (3/ 3/4" x 4-1/4"). EK Victorian Corner punch. Colorbox Charcoal pigment ink (edge distressing). Pool Party seam binding ribbon. Black & White Baker's Twine. Dynamo Labelmaker/ 3/8" black tape. Stash button/ clear. Black/rhinestone trim (cut apart). Dimensional Foam tape (sentiment). Copic marker outlining (Bingo button markers). Chatterbox verse. Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

A Daughter's Birthday!

My oldest daughter had a birthday at the end of June.  I have been absent from my craft room for most of the last five months, except for a card here or there, and I have missed making many cards for the special people in my life.  So, I said to myself, "You really must get your creative mojo going and get a card made for your lovely daughter."  And, so I did.  Here is the card that I found a bit of creativity to create for daughter, Michele!  She was very pleased to get a handmade birthday card from Mom.  I think she was surprised and figured I was still avoiding my craft room!

And, here is the inside design and verse.  I am desperately in need of a new printer...it just won't print a clear font; therefore, it is a bit blurry on several lines.

I decided to use my daughter's favorite colors on her card...teals and blues.  I wanted to use a hydrangea bouquet and remembered Stampin' Up's Bouquet Bunch framelits.  I sponged them with similar colors, but added a touch of lilac in the flowers, plus sparkly glitter to the flowers and sentiment die-cut.  I did trim my flower stems and branches just a touch to fit the die-cut framing size that I used.  I offset the die-cut framing to the left side to add a criss-cross ribbon lacing that I learned from fellow cardmaking, Liz Thayer, several years ago.  I used Lots of Labels to die-cut a Shimmer White mat to host my bouquet and stamped it with splatters using the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and Highland Heather ink.  

Next, I die-cut eight of the four-petal flower bunch to overlay and overlap each other onto my flower stems to give the bouquet depth.  I sponged them with Pool Party, Tempting Turquoise, and Highland Heather inks.  After overlapping them to form the bouquet, I applied Wink of Stella-Clear for shimmer, but it didn't seem enough, so before it dried, I added Dazzling Diamonds glitter, which is really sparkly, but unfortunately, it does not show up in the photo.  I sponged white cardstock in the same inks to make the sentiment die-cut and inside petite scalloped corners.  I used glue stick to apply the sparkly glitter to these pieces as well after I had die-cut the sentiment and punched the corners. 

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Pacific Point, Bermuda Bay, Shimmery White, Whisper White.  Inks--Pool Party, Tempting Turquoise, Highland Heather.  Stamps--Beautiful Bouquet.  Dies--Bouquet Bunch framelits, Lots of Labels.  Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.  Other:  Recollections Purple Passion.  BoBunny Kiwi Double Dot.  Cottage Cutz Expressions: Happy Birthday.  EK Punch: Medium Scallop Corner.  Offray double-stitch pale aqua ribbon.  Queen & Co. Iridescent Purple Goosebumps. Chatterbox verse.  Size: 4-3/4 x 6 in. 

Belated Birthday Wishes - Sister-in-Law #2!

I am trying to play catch-up with a few of the birthdays that I missed.  This one's for sister-in-law #2 of 8, who celebrated her birthday at the end of June.

Checking out possible Splitcoaststampers (SCS) challenges, reminded me of some MME papers I used on a friend's card last fall, and a card design from my sister several years ago using this same paper.  This, in turn, led me to two challenge possibilities, involving using recycled products and distressing.  It was time to get started and see where all these thoughts led.

I used a sheet of recycled cork from an accessory pack I won at a stamp gathering several years ago now.   I didn't really care for the flowers and symbols already printed on one side of the cork, so decided I could turn over the sheet and use dies to cut my own designs for my flowers.  My distressing would involve ink distressing, so I liberally inked the edges of all my layers:  mats, sentiment die-cuts, banners, flowers. doily and even the felt leaves (which doesn't show up well on the picture).  

See the finished card below (inside and out).  I think my sister-in-law will be pleased, but I do wish it was not a belated birthday wish!

Ingredients:  Papers:  Stampin' Up Cardstock: Old Olive, Island Indigo, Very Vanilla.  Patterned Papers:  MME-Miss Caroline--Dilly Dally/ Dolled Up/ Fiddlesticks, plus miscellaneous scraps.  SU Punches: Stampin' Up--Circles--1-1/4-inch, Scallop Circles--1-3/4-inch, 7/8-inch, Boho Blossoms (ret.-cork flowers), Itty Bitty Shapes (smallest scallop); WRMK Deco Corner Chomper.  Dies: Spellbinders--Nested Leaves (traced/ cut w-pinking shears); Sizzix Labels-Ornate #2 (sentiment).  Fishtail Flags: Hand-cut.  Wilton 3-1/2" Doily.  Ink Distressing: ColorBox: Chestnut Roan.  Pearls: Recollection (Copic RV-14 colored).  Stash: Dark Celery felt.  Recycle: Cork. Chatterbox sentiment/ inside verse.  Size: 4-1/2" x 5-5/8".  (Thank you Heidi Gonzales for your card design that I cased with some modification to the layering and sentiment.)

Sister-in-Law #3 Has a "Freedom" Birthday!

I have mentioned in the past that I have eight (8) sister-in-laws!  With my knee surgery, I missed getting a card made for the first two in 2018.  My third sister-in-law has a birthday just a few days after the 4th of July.

After looking at possible SCS challenges to enter, I decided to do a whole different thing with her birthday and make a patriotic card all about freedom.  In her case, the birthday verse gives her the "freedom" to choose to be "29 again" this year; therefore, I used "FREEDOM for Your Birthday!" as the card front sentiment.

I've been chuckling as I've been making her card and thoroughly enjoying myself.  I do hope she likes her card as well as I think she will.  Take a peek below at the card front and my inside verse and design.

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock--Midnight Muse (ret.), Real Red, Very Vanilla, Naturals Ivory.  Punch: 3-Corner Curvy (inside-ret.).  Baker's Twine: Real Red/ White.  Patterned papers: Authentique Pride Collection:  Dignity (bg), Unified (Inchie-Dots), Assemble (Inchie-Stripe), Amend (Inchie-Plaid).  Hugs Seam Binding Ribbon: Union Blue.  Spellbinder Dies:  Stars Nestabilities, Postage Stamp Nestabilities (Inchies).  Queen & Co. Twinkle Goosebumps: Red (inside).  Button: stash.  Fishtail Flags--hand-cut.  Chatterbox sentiment/ verse (Fonts: Lobster 1.4 = sentiment/16--verse/15. Cut Above the Rest = setniment (freedom).  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

Sorrow for Our Alpha Sister!

It is with sadness that I must make another sympathy card for a dear friend that I've gotten to know through Splitcoaststampers.  She is a fellow Alpha Challenge sister, Art Deco Diva, and after a long struggle, she has lost her mother to the battle.  We are all so saddened to hear this, but want our friend to know how much we are thinking of her and praying for her and her family.

The Splitcoaststampers Traveling Teapot Challenge, which chooses someone each week that we want to honor in some manner and for different reasons.  Unfortunately, some of those reasons involving losing someone near and dear to us.  Art Deco Diva's SCS galley is filled with lovely cards that can only be described as eclectic.  We are choosing to honor Art Deco Diva with cards that feature the shabby chic style and are challenge hostess wants us to include lots of detail.

I love shabby chic, one of my favorite styles, but I prefer it not to be too over the top, but for sure it must include ribbon, lace, flowers, and definitely be feminine.  I am using all of those things, plus some layering and dry embossing to add texture.  Of course, it has to have some sparkle, so I added a flower rhinestone medallion for the center of my flowers.  Take a peek below at my finished card inside and out.  I'm hoping it will bring solace to ADD's sorrowful heart and let her know that we are thinking of her and keeping her and her family in our prayers during this trying time.

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Sahara Sand, Lost Lagoon, Very Vanilla.  Stamp--Petal Potpourri (2015 Occ).  Markers--Lost Lagoon, Sahara Sand.  Dies--Stitched Shape Framelits/ Ovals.  Punch--Flower Medallion (ret.).  Embellishment--Something Borrowed (Occ-2015).  Ribbon--3/8" Stitched Satin-Lost Lagoon (ret.).  Lace--7/8" Lace Trim-Sahara Sand (ret.).  Other:  Cuttlebug EF-Summer Set/ Floral.  Dies--Spellbinder Petite Scallop Oval SM.  Chatterbox sentiment/ verse (computer printed).  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

Daughter's Birthday to Celebrate!

Sorry, I have been most remiss in my cardmaking and blogging for the last three months!  Several bouts of the flu, traveling a bit, and general busyness are the only excuses I can offer.  But, I did manage to get a card made for my daughter, Jackie's birthday.

 

Since Jackie is a big umbrella fan, boasting ownership of at least ten or more, and some with matching goulashes, a card with some sort of umbrella theme is sure to shout out, "THIS CARD MUST BE FOR JACKIE!"  With this in mind, I thought I would like to use my new stamp set by Stampin' Up, Beautiful You, incorporating more than one stamp into my image.  

 

I chose the dancing lady stamp and borrowed the umbrella from the strolling lady stamp.  I stamped with Versamark and white embossed the dancing lady onto a black cardstock background.  I, then, Versamark stamped and white embossed the image again onto my red, black, and white polka-dot paper and fussy-cut the dress out to layer over my black cardstock white embossed image.  I Versamark stamped and embossed her hat and hair onto another red and black muted pattern and overlayed that as well onto the black cardstock image.  Next, I Versamark stamped and white embossed the umbrella from the "walking umbrella lady" stamp and fussy-cut out just the umbrella, which I set aside to adhered onto the black background after my card layers were cut and adhered together.  My next step was to Versamark stamp and white emboss my chose sentiment underneath my lady image.  After cutting and adhering all my mats and layers, the final step was to adhere the umbrella, which I offset to the left leaving it to hang over onto the layer below (see image below).  I used a white gel pen to make my umbrella handle connecting it to her hand.  

Though I'm not sure I like this, I did color my lady's white embossed hair with shades of brown, using my Copic markers.  I did this because Jackie's hair is brown, but I'm not sure I would do that again.

 

The last step to complete Jackie's card was to compose a verse and create an interior design that compliments the card front. . .see the finished inside below.

 

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock:  Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White.  Stamp set:  Beautiful You (Occasions 2017).  White Embossing Powder.  Taylored Expressions Summer Nights dsp.  My Mind's Eye Holly Jolly Winter Branches (hat).  EK punch: Victorian Corners.  Versamark Embossing Ink. Uni-ball Signo White Gel Pen.  Computer verse (odstemplik font).  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".