Nephew's Birthday to Celebrate!

One of my little nephew's celebrated his 7th birthday.  I bought the Blast Off! Stampin' Up stamp with him in mind, and I decided I would work on his birthday card at my annual Mom-Sister cardmaking retreat in Mt. Shasta, CA.  My sister, Heidi Gonzales - My Lil' Scrap Corner (blog), came up with a new surprise to occupy us this year. . . five homemade challenges for the three of us to complete while on the retreat.  My idea for Parker's Blast Off! birthday card fit Color Challenge #4 to a tee.  I was stoked.

I used the same chevron Jillibean paper that I used in February on my husband's Groundhog's Day birthday card for this card's paper-pieced rocket ship.  It is a great guy paper and fit the green/blues color palette just right. I added a grass-patterned paper to the card bottom that I sculpted with a cut-grass border die from the Cat's Pajamas to be my rocket ship's liftoff point.  I am pretty pleased with how the card turned out, but I must apologize for the picture shown here.  I do not have my usual tools for getting a jpeg image incorporated on my blog that I do when I'm at home.  The picture is not only a bit blurry but also has too much light on the right side, and it doesn't do justice to the green and blue color combination in the true richness of the paper colors.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up cardstocks: Bermuda Bay (base), Island Indigo (mat layer), Subtles stack: Pool Party (sky), Daffodil Delight (flame).  Jillibean: Macho Nacho Soup - 2 Parts Boy (chevron).  Creating Keepsakes - Grass.  Cat's Pajama's Grass border die.  SU stamp set: Blast Off! SU Ink: Pool Party, Coastal Cabana, Pumpkin Pie.  Ribbons:  SU-Gumball Green Satin Stitching; Stash-Gathered Blue Velvet ribbon.  SU-Googlie eyes.

Birthday for an "Old" Friend!

My daughter, Michele, is back home permanently in Washington, all the way cross-country from West Virginia.  We are excited to have her back!  She has been very busy setting up her home office in her vacant house and getting back to work.  In her spare time, she is researching and finding vendors and products to complete some remodeling and refinishing work to their home to have it ready for the arrival of her husband and their furniture.  Carpets are being completly replaced, hardwood floors are being sanded and refinished, slate and Travertine tiling are replacing bathroom and laundry room linoleum, and the garage floor is having a speckled epoxy applied, and of course, she is busy painting and refreshing rooms as needed.  The house should look brand new when she's done!

So, somehow, this leads me to a card?  Oh yes, one of Michele's long-time friends is celebrated her 40th birthday with dinner and dancing with the pack of girls that have remained friends for over 22 years!  Michele's wardrobe is somewhat limited...only having with her what would fit in two suitcases and focusing more on casual, work, and paint clothes.  Thus, she felt a new top and some jewelry were needed, plus a birthday present, resulting in a much needed shopping trip.  Upon arriving home, she realized that she forgot a birthday card.  Mom to the rescue...and out came the card stash!  Michele chose a card with a "friend" sentiment that I love.

I made this card a few months ago from a card kit designed by my sister, Heidi Gonzales, of My Lil' Scrap Corner.  I think my sister had me in mind when she designed it, because, lo and behold, it was a larger card right from the start.  (I love it!)  When my eyes landed on her finished card, I just had to make this card.  It is a great choice for Michele's birthday friend.  I found a little verse online about "old" friends that fit the occasion just right!  Following is the completed card and with the inside created by me just in the nick of time!

Recipe:  SU cardstock: Very Vanilla (base), So Saffron, Whisper White; Authentique-Renew: Spring (both sides).  SU punch: Elegant Butterfly.  SU Pansy punch.  Spellbinders die: Bitty Blossom (small).  Hug Snug seam binding: Mimosa.  SU pearls.  Stash lace.  Inside: EK punch: Fancy Corners.  WRMK Deco Corner Chomper.

Birthday for a Cardmaking Buddy!

One of the ladies that I love to go cardmaking with is having her birthday in April.  She is so much fun to work and visit with during our escapes into the paper world; therefore, I want to be sure to honor her on her special day.  I chose a card to make from a card kit designed by my sister, Heidi Gonzales: My Lil' Scrap Corner, which is very bright and cheerful just like my friend, Sandy.  

I wanted to make my card a larger size than the original A2 size, so I added another mat layer of Pool Party between the card base and the top design layer.  I also decided on a double bow instead of a fishtail ribbon knot.  I made the following additional changes:  added the paper flower cutouts to all three flower layers; I dropped the two-layer die cuts down, exposing a bit more of the die shape; and I dropped the bottom layer of the die down even more so more of the patterned paper shows.  I absolute love this WRMK Feelin' Groovy paper with the colors so cheerful and complimenting one another perfectly!  I hope Sandy likes her birthday card. 

Recipe:  Stamps – PTI Flower Fusion #1 (sentment), PTI Flower Fusion #5 (flower heads/ not visible), PTI Flower Fusion #6 (plaid flower stems). SU Ink: Gumball green, Basic Black. Colorbox Chestnut Roan (edge distressing). Papers – SU cardstock: Whisper White, Pool Party. WRMK-Feelin’ Groovy: Journal (yellow stripe/ corner flowers used), Chevron (back quatrefoil). PTI die: Mega Mat Stack 4. Hug Snug Gabardine Green seam binding ribbon. MayArts hemp twine. Flower buttons. 

Easter Bunny Ready to Travel!

Late last night, I finally finished my last Easter card.  I have been on a roll using my newly invented stash of vintage Easter images that you have heard me talking about off and one for the last three weeks.  I needed another masculine Easter card and selected this cute little bunny with spectacles, who looks like he's ready to make a journey.  My guess is he is making his annual journey to color Easter eggs, and I surmise that the big egg in his basket backpack is his egg-coloring kit.  How's that for some imagination!

I found a wonderful stripe in my paper stash by Fancy Pants that matches my bunny image colors just right.  I decided all stripe was just too much, and since I seem to be using combinations of geometric paper patterns in the background of most of my Easter card so far, I might as well stick to my groove, right?  I framed this little rabbit by re-enforcing the thickness of one of the background papers, cut it out with the Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles, which had to be modified so all edges would be the same thickness, sprayed it with adhesive glue, and added a thin coat of fine crystal glitter.  I was satisfied with my results, but wished I had taken time to sewing machine a straight stitch on the striped segments and entirely around the outer edge of as well, but time was limited, so here is my finished card, which will be for my husband:

Recipe:  Papers:  Stampin' Up Very Vanilla cs (base); Fancy Pants Beach Bum-Hawaiian Stripes; AdornIt Vintage Groove-Polka Dot Green; Recollections Basics-Blue Pinstripe.  Spellbinders dies: Deckled Rectangles LG, Rectangles LG.  Vintage online Easter image.  HugSnug seam binding: Blue Jay, Moss Green.  Queen&Co.: Twinkle Goosebumps.

My husbad's striped Easter card fits the Shabby Tea Room's Week #214 Challenge, which requires the use of polka dots or stripes, so I thought I put it into the challenge as my second entry.  The challenge's inspiration photo tells you your card should be Easter-oriented as well.

Don't forget to visit The Shabby Tea Room at the link below to take a look-see at all the wonderful entries:

http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/2014/04/week-214-easter-sweetness.html

Vintage Girl and Her Easter Bunnies!

I found this cute little vintage digital postcard image online today and thought what a cute Easter card it would make.  I had to work with it a bit in PaintShop Pro because it was pretty narrow and I knew I would want to frame it with either a circle or a square frame.  I added an extra border around the image to widen it and cloned and smudged in the background color shadings all around the picture, so that when I printed the image, it wouldn't jumped from a nice shaded background to the white of the cardstock showing in the picture frame.  It also had some printing at the top and bottom right, which was extremely light and totally not legible in such a small image.  It cluttered up the image, thus I decided to removed it entirely.  Now, it was ready to size and print for my card.

I found some pretty pink and green papers and decided to do an alternating crisscross paper pattern for the background behind my little framed girl and bunnies.  I also decided to try applying a light film of glitter to the picture to add a different flair, using spray adhesive.  I think I like the way it turned out.

Recipe:  Paper: Stampin' Up Whisper White (base); WRMK Cotton Tails 6x6 pad (patterns); Martha Stewart Love Notes Mat pad; Bazzill Irish Eyes (frame). Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Squares, Squares LG.  Vintage Easter digital image (online).  Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  HugSnug seam binding: Moss Green/ Vivid Pink.  Prima paper flower.  Recollections colored pearls.  Colorbox Chestnut Roan sponge distressing.

Easter Bunny Rays!

I just finished another Easter card using my newly acquired stash of vintage Easter digital images that I have been finding online and sprucing up in PaintShop Pro.  I just love this little "top hat" Easter bunny.  He looks so cheerful as he goes about the business of painting and decorating Easter eggs.  I thought he would make a perfect card for the masculine members of my family, yet he is so whimsical that I think the female members would enjoy him as well.

Finding papers that would go with his colorful clothing meant not using traditional Easter paper that's for sure.  I decided a "coat of many colors" card would be appropriate and that would best be achieved by making a sunburst ray card.  I ended up using some old My Mind's Eye Stella Rose papers I have had around for over three years...their colors were perfect.  I added a few pieces of Stampin' Up papers as well to achieve the mix I was looking for.  Here is the card I ended up with:

Recipe:  Darice Kraft cardstock (base); MME Stella Rose: Gertie, Hazel, Hattie/ So Sophie: Brothers & Sisters; Adornit Vintage Groove: Polka Dot Green (back); Stampin' Up Print Poetry: red flower, green quatrefoil.  Spellbinders die: Big Scallop Ovals SM, Ovals SM.  Vintage online digital image.  Elmer's Adhesive Spray.  Stash: crystal fine glitter.  Stampin' Up Ink: Baja Breez (lightly sponged image background).  HugSnug seam binding: Serbin Brown (olive), Goldenrod (colored w-Copic: YR23).  Stampin' Up button.  Stash:  tan scrapbooking floss.  Faux stitching (fine brown pen).  Inside: EK Scallop Corner punch.

Again this week, I have decided to enter my son's Easter card in The Shabby Tea Room's Week #214 challenge: Easter Sweetness, which requires the use of stripes and/or polka dots.  The inspiration photo and the title of the challenge surely tell you it must be an Easter card:

Be sure to visit The Shabby Tea Room blog to see all the other exciting entries in this challenge.  Click on the link below to be transport to the tea room!

http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/2014/04/week-214-easter-sweetness.html

Eggstra Special Easter Wishes!

As I did last year, I decided I needed to look over my Easter stash to see what was lurking before I started another card.  Last year, I made myself use everything from my stash rather than buy or look for anything new.  I spotted this really cute paper that I know I've had for over three years.  I have loved it for just that long, so I don't know why I hadn't used it before.  This year is certainly the time to do it for sure! I still have many more foam Easter shapes in my stash. . .so why not use them again.  As I learned last year, if you color the purple rabbit with Copic markers, they will actually color, usually darker than the pen color.  I chose a dark brown Copic, which was be perfect for this card.  Here is my final creation:

Recipe: SU Cardstock: Whisper White, Bashful Blue. Pattern: WRMK Hippity Hoppity Easter Tree. Sentiment: Computer-generated. Punches: Martha Stewart Swirling Lace Around the Page Border & 3-in-1 Butterflies. Spellbinders Long Rectangles SM & Long Scalloped Rectangles SM. SU Beautiful Wings Sizzilit die. Extras: SU Bashful Blue 5/8" Satin ribbon, SU 1/8" Taffeta ribbon (bunny bow), Blue/White ribbon (Michael's $1 bin). Recollections 3mm multi-colored rhinestones, rhinestone ovals (butterfly body) & black mini pearl (bunny eye). $1 Store Glitter Eggs & Bunnies (eggs decorated with ribbon and rhinestones). Glue dot minis, Scotch foam tape, Scotch 1/4" tape glider.

A Decorative Glittery Easter Egg!

I bought two egg dies last year after Easter, and I was anxious to try out at least one this year.  I decided to go with the larger of the two dies and make it the focal point of my card.  I chose a cheerful pastel polka dot to peek through the decorative cutouts in the egg.  I like the way it turned out, and I think it looks very elegant.  I decided on an embossed raised layer mat behind the egg to add depth in this almost monochromatic card...white with a pinkie-coral.

When I finished my card, I decided it suited the current Shabby Tea Room challenge: #213 - Floral Fantasy, which requires you to create a project inspired by the beautiful colors in the photo and include flowers and ribbon/ lace.  

There are many beautiful cards already posted for this challenge, plus design team sample inspirations. . .be sure to check out the website by clicking on the link below:

http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/2014/04/week-213-floral-fantasy.html

Submitting my card for this challenge was of secondary importance, because the original purpose in making it was to send it to a family members as a way to let them know I am thinking about them during this Easter season.  I hope they are as please with it as I am!  (Of course, I also hope the Shabby Tea Room thinks its a winner as well!)

Recipe:  Papers: Stampin' Up Whisper White cardstock (base); Staples Cherry cs.  DCWV Stripes & Polka Dots Stack.  Spellbinders M-Bossabilities: Splendid/ Design B.  WRMK Deco Corner Chomper.   Lifestyles QuicKutz die: Doily Egg.  Elmer's Craft Bond adhesive spray.  Stash: Fine Iridescent white glitter (JoAnns).  Stampin' Up stamp: Delightful Dozen.  Stampin' Up punch:  Modern Label.  Stampin' Up Ink: Basic Black.  Stampin' Up 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim: Strawberry Slush.  Stash:  white lace; Cherry plaid ribbon.   Recollection pears (R20 Copic marker colored).

Our April Birthday Girl!

April brings the celebration of our youngest daughter's birthday, who is our third child of the four.  This lovely young lady has brought many wonderful times and loving memories to me and the entire family.  She is my gardener, who loves to plant my spring flowers in my oak barrels on the front porch, and always brings more planters and hanging baskets to make a colorful display.  So, now I will take the time to make her a special birthday card to celebrate her special day.

Jackie has a special friend, who is often glued to the nearest soft spot close her as she watches television, reads, plays video games, paints her toenails, or studies diligently to complete her R.N. program.  That friend is her kitty, Sphinxi, so I thought I would make a card with this little friend in mind.  I already had an idea for the card layout I wanted to use, and when I found a cute little digital image of a kitty peeking over a flower pot, I knew it would be just right.  We often find Sphinxi in the living room bay window peaking around the many houseplants while laying in the filtered sunshine (if and when available in our rainy northwest). 

I chose my paper colors knowing I needed to be able to coordinate these colors into the flowers in the pot.  My mind has also been on Easter cards, and I was working back and forth between Jackie's card and Easter, when I realized one of the vintage Easter digital images I was thinking of using would go perfectly with almost the same design and papers as Jackie's, so I tested the idea on the Easter card first, and it worked beautifully.  You will find that card post to my blog on April 1, entitled "Easter's Coming...Let's Get Started!"  Here is Jackie's card, and I know she will love the little kitty image!

Recipe:  Papers: Darice Kraft cardstock (base); DCWV Everyday Essentials; Jillibean Southern Chicken Dumpling Soup Coordinating stripe; Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana cs, Pretty in Pink cs.  Digital kitty image colored with Copic markers.  Spellbinders Ribbon Banners die.  Stampin' Up Dazzling Delights. Machine stitching.  Computer-made sentiment. Sponge distressed edges w-Stampin' Up Burnt Brown Sugar ink.  Vintage Bingo card and Tape Measure (colored with Copics).

Mom's Beautiful Easter Egg!

In my newly created stash of vintage Easter images, there was one image in particular that jumped right out at me and said, "This is the perfect image to make a card for Mom for Easter...she absolutely loves the colors in this beautiful decorative egg."  The decision was easy, but finding just the right papers with the right color hues was not so easy.  I must have looked through almost all the paper I own (and that is no small amount), but still I procrastinated and looked some more.  Finally I found three that I was satisfied with.  So, to work I went and created a simply vintage Easter egg card just for Mom.

While I was at it, I noticed that the Shabby Tea Room is having a challenge, which also helped to inspire my card, so I decided I should enter the Week #213 - Floral Fantasy challenge with Mom's Easter card made just for her.  The challenge requires you to create a project inspired by the multitude of soft pastel roses in the photo provided and to include flowers and ribbon/ lace.  

My card inspiration for this challenge and for Mom's special Easter card is shown below.  Don't forget to go and check out the other cards entered in the Shabby Tea Room challenge this week by clicking on the link below:

http://theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/2014/04/week-213-floral-fantasy.html

Recipe:  Bazzill Lily Pond cs (base); Deck the Halls (mat); Basic Grey Serendipity 6x6 pad; Authentique Promise-Four 6x6 pad.  Spellbinders Floral Ovals + Ovals LG.  HugSnug seam binding-Moss Green + White Copic colored R14.  Prima paper flower.  Queen&Co. Pearls.  Elmer's Craft Bond adhesive spray.  Stash: Crystal glitter (used on image + frame).  Colorbox Chestnut Roan sponge distressing.

Easter Bunny's Coming. . .Card #2!

This is a card that I made from a card kit design by my sister, Heidi Gonzales: My Lil' Scrap Corner.  The original card pieces were for an A2 size and I wanted my card to be larger.  To accomplish this, I cut a new card base 5-1/4" x 5-1/2", a new paper lace trim, added a new/ longer lace piece and added a striped paper to the bottom below the lace instead of using all one paper pattern.  I also spaced out my banner, corrugated label, and stamped circle embellishments.  I colored my little bunny with Copic markers, and I sponge distressed all my paper and embellishment edges with Chestnut Roan ink.  I love this card design and the pink and green combination.  I'm pretty happy with the end result.

Recipe:  Papers: Stampin'Up cardstocks - Pear Pizzazz (base), Very Vanilla; WRMK Cotton Tails 6x6 Pad; Cloud 9 Pink stripe; DCWV Corrugated Pastels Paper stack.  Stampin' Up stamp: Everybuuny (retired). EK Abstract Flower punch. Lifestyles Circles & Eyelet Circles. Spellbinders: Labels 17.  Hug Snug seam binding ribbons.  Offray lace.  Stash buttons.  Prima rose. SU rhinestone. Colorbox Chestnut Roan ink.

Easter's Coming...Let's Get Started!

I've been working with digital vintage Easter images for the past three days.  I've found quite a stash of them, but had quite a bit of work to do on them to size them and get their background colorized to be able to use them in a frame without hiding the picture.  Out came PaintShop Pro to add an additional border around many of the images, but then I had to work with the background colors and images to clone the right textures and colors into the border to blend into the existing image.  I have finally finished all that grunt work and should be able to get started with some mojo to actually come up with a design, but I've had my daughter's birthday card that I need to get finished on in mind as well.  

While letting my juices mull on her card, I had a yen to use a BINGO card and I found a cute little kitty digital stamp to Copic color, so I pick the paper colors.  In the midst of finalizing her papers, I realized the one of my little vintage Easter chicks would be perfect with the same colors.  After finishing the sketch for Jackie's birthday card, I pulled out that little chick and realized not only would all the paper colors go just perfect, but Jackie's birthday card design would be perfect as well.  So, I decided to use it on my first Easter card to see how it would look.  I did some work on my Easter card's BINGO card and blended too images to make an EASTER bingo card, colorizing it, and a little tape measure I wanted to use, in PaintShop Pro.  I am really pleased with my BINGO Easter card, and I know the design will be cute on Jackie's birthday card as well.

Recipe:  Papers: Darice Kraft cardstock (base); DCWV Everyday Essentials; Jillibean Southern Chicken Dumpling Soup Coordinating stripe.  Lifestyles dies: Lace Circles & Circles.  Elmer's Craft Bond spray adhesive.  Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  Vintage Easter Chick image (Graphic Fairy).  Vintage Bingo card and tape measure (found online).  Colorbox Chestnut Roan sponge-distress edges.