Getting Ready for October Birthdays!

My good friend Carla is hosting her first Dare to Get Dirty challenge this month, and though I am sorry to say, I do not have any time to really get into the nitty gritty of trying to get all these challenges completed, I thought I'd at least try Carla's challenge.

These Dare to Get Dirty Challenges are created for fan club members to participate in, and we are not allowed to divulge the nuts and bolts of the challenge requirements, but I also checked out some of the other SCS challenges currently running to see if they would tweak my creative mojo.  

An Inspiration Challenge orange t-shirt with leaves reminded me that I have a whole slew of October family birthdays that include sons, nephews, sister-in-laws, children and SCS friends.  I thought I'd make a card with a fall theme that would help my huge October card needs.  A fall theme will also work for the Alphabet Challenge, Letter P = Persimmon Orange and Pumpkin Orange.

My card idea will work for one of my sister-in-law cards or one of my female friends, but I think I might just earmark it for one of my good friends.  I thought I would take a walk down nostalgia lane and color the little girl image I chose with woodless-colored pencils.  The image is a CC Designs fall digital image of a little girl pulling a wagon filled with a delightful fall pumpkin.  I've had this digital image in my stash for a number of years.

My finished little girl with her rosy cheeks is ready to deliver her little red wagon loaded with her happy birthday pumpkin to my dear friend.  Now, I can put a check mark by my friend's name to show that her card is finished.  Take a peek at her finished birthday card inside and out.

Recipe:  SU cardstock:  Whisper White, Tangelo Twist, Chocolate Chip.  DSP: Joann's Open Stock.  CC Designs digital image: Pumpkin Emma.  Die:  Papertrey Ink-Large ZigZag.  Coloring: Progresso Koh-I-Noor Woodless-Colored Wax Pencils (Michaels).  Mineral Spirits (WalMart).  Stash:  Orange Felt, button, cream crochet thread.  Punch:  EK Scallop Photo Corners LG.  Chatterbox sentiment/verse (computer).  Size:  5-1/4" square.

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.)

Fall Flowers for a Birthday!

GOOD NEWS!  

THIS CARD IS NAMED A

SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS FAVORITE OF THE

WEEK ENDING - OCTOBER 14, 2017!!

One of my cardmaking buddies celebrates her birthday in October, and several of her friends are taking her out to lunch and shower her with birthday cards!  At first I thought I might give her my "A Peek at Fall" card, but then I got a bee in my bonnet and decided I wanted to make her a fall garden card as she is quite the gardener.

I love using elements on my card other than paper, and I haven't done that much lately.   Since I wanted to enter my card into the Splitcoaststampers (SCS) Alphabet Challenge, and I thought I would add some cork flowers to my friends garden, so I chose to complete Letter C.  The optional double letter challenge is X for X-acto. . .I'd worry about how to use that tool in making my card later after I came up with the design.  

Other SCS challenges I checked were the Inspiration Challenge, which requires you to find inspiration by using the website chosen for the weekly challenge.  I found color inspiration at this site.  Another challenge I will use is the Featured Stamper, using the card gallery by beechwood for inspiration.  Beechwood's "A Sunflower Pop-Up Book Card" uses similar colors that I found in the Inspiration Challenge, but it also gave me some design element ideas of using fishtail banners, flowers, and plain and scalloped circle layers.

All this inspiration brought to mind a card that my sister, Heidi Gonzales, designed several years ago, and I pulled up my picture of the card and used her design as inspiration as well.  With all this inspiration, I knew I needed cork, felt, buttons, and some patterned paper.  I sorted through my numerous stashes of patterned papers looking those that had more fall tones, rather than spring.  I actually found some of the papers my sister used, which were by My Minds Eye so I really give her lots of credit for design and color inspiration as well.

To meet the X-acto challenge for the Alphabet Challenge above, I ended up cutting my fishtail banners with an X-acto blade, which I thought would be easiest as it was a straight line!  I'm not so good with the X-acto knife, so I fussy-cut my fishtails with scissors.  I also cut the edges of my felt leaves with my pinking shears for a more jagged look.

Take a peek below at my friends card, which I think she will enjoy for her birthday:

Ingredients:  Papers:  Stampin' Up--Natural's cs (retired), Old Olive, Soft Sky.  Patterned paper: MME-MIss Caroline--Dilly Dally, Dolled Up, Fiddlesticks plus miscellaneous scraps.  Dies:  Spellbinders--Big Scalloped Circles LG #3--2-inch; Nested Leaves (traced/ cut w-pinking shears)   Punches: Stampin' Up--Circles--1-inch, 1-1/4-inch, 1-3/4-inch, Curvy Corner Trio (retired), Word Window (retired), Scallop Edge Border; EK Scalloped--1-1/4-inch; Zutter--Corner Rounder.  Colorbox Chestnut Roan (ink distress).  Stash: Felt (leaves, Cork (flower layers), Buttons, Embroidery Floss, Sequins.  Computer sentiment/ verse.  Size: 4-5/8" x 5-7/8".

2012 Christmas Cards to Make for Moms!

I was fortunate to be able to start my Christmas cards before journeying to California and while in California for my fall trip to visit Mom.  It is so much fun to make these two annual trips because both my mother and my sister live in the same town and they are both cardmakers so we have a delightful time!

I decided to start my Christmas cardmaking with my Mom and my mother-in-law as they both have to be mailed to California.  This card is for my Mom, using Stampin' Up products stamp: Snow Much Fun; Paper: Always Artichoke, Regal Rose, White Vellum; EFolder: Perfect Polka Dots. SU markers used + Dazzling Details.  Card idea from Liz Thayer.  I enlarged my card and added a pink card base.  I changed the sentiment and added a pink mat behind it, and made vellum layer one unfolded piece.  I also elevated the ribbon rather than place it in the middle.  Thanks, Liz. . .I love the embossed dotted vellum.  It's such a nice touch.

Alice's card is one I made at a Christmas Card Palooza while in California.  It is a card taught by my sister, Heidi Gonzales: My Lil' Scrap Corner, and just love it.  It has the vintage flavor that I love, and the felt poinsettia that we made with a dies and Big Shot is absolutely beautiful.  Heidi's card designs are also so creative and a delight to make.