Flowers for Daughter's Birthday

OH SO JOYFUL!  THIS CARD IS NAMED A

SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS FAVORITE OF THE

WEEK ENDING - JULY 2, 2017!!

My daughter, Michele, is having a birthday at the end of this month.  I wanted to make her a special birthday card, and two challenges on SplitcoastStampers (SCS) gave me some ideas on which to focus.  The Ways to Use It challenge asked that you use strips of paper to create your card, the Inspiration Challenge asked that you make a card using patterned paper, and the Alphabet--Round 7-Red challenge asked that you use a splash of RED.  When checking out ideas presented for the Ways to Use It challenge, I was inspired to use the Herringbone Technique, because I felt it fit the Inspiration Challenge perfectly as well.  I decided to create the background of Michele's card using this technique.

Getting into my creative mojo mode, I pictured the Herringbone pattern being very striking in black and white patterned papers.  Then, I wanted to use flowers in some way, and settled on SU's Botanical Blooms stamps/ Botanical Builder dies.  I thought a vivid contrasting red would be very effective.  Then, I had to find a transition between the herringbone pattern and the red flowers, and the red, black, and white die cuts were born, thus fulfilling the need to use red as well.

I assembled my herringbone bone pattern first, adhering it to a piece of black cardstock cut 5" x 6" because I knew this could be cut to fit the front of my white cardbase, which would be 4-3/4" x 6" finished.  I chose the red pattern for the base die-cut in a simple patterned paper as I needed something calming after the busyness of the herringbone, and finished it by distressing the edges with white craft ink.  I chose to repeat one of my blackish background patterns and white for my two circle die cuts.  I layered them onto my cardbase, and thought spritzing them with my Bath & Body Works Magic in the Air Diamond Shimmer Mist would make them very pretty and sparkly.  I also decided I needed to pop-up my red die-cut upon which the circle die-cuts and flowers would rest.  Assembly complete and I was very pleased with the result, and I think Michele will love it!  Take a peek below:

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up cardstocks:  Whisper White, Real Red, Cucumber Crush, Basic Black.  Patterned papers:  Crate Paper-Paper Heart/ Delicate 2 (red); Bazzill Basics-Licorice; My Mind's Eye: Everyday Basics; DCWV: Jet Black Stack.  Stamps: SU-Botantical Blooms (leaf pattern); Stampendous-Birthday Wishes (sentiment).  Ink: SU-Wild Wasabi, White Craft; Memento-Tuxedo. Black.  Dies:  SU-Botanical Builder Framelits (flowers, leaves), Top Note (retired); Cottage Cutz-Pierced Circles, Double-Stitched Circles; MFT-Photo Corners (inside).  Bath & Body Works: Magic in the Air Diamond Shimmer Mist.  Computer verse. Size:  4-3/4" x 6".

A Brainy Get Well!

A good friend and cardmaking buddy had brain surgery for repair of the trigeminal nerves in the brain, caused by a rare condition known as Trigeminal Neuraligia.  This condition caused her chronic pain in the area supplying feelings, by the trigeminal nerve, to the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, or less often the eye and forehead.  Bouts of pain can last from a few seconds, several minutes, days, weeks, months or longer (some people have periods when they have no pain at all for weeks or months).  Her surgery seems very successful, though she can not be sure of the exact results for up to several months.

I wanted to make Charlene a pretty get well card that was cute and cheerful, letting her know how much I can't wait until she can join us again at the crafting table!   After mulling around several ideas, I saw Sketch Challenge SC649 on Splitcoaststampers, issued June 14th.  I really thought I could do something with this sketch idea, using a colored image in a cute round frame.  After completing my outside design, I created a little verse and designed the inside to coordinate with the front.  Take a look at her finished card below, both inside and out:  

As it turned out, I took some liberties with the sketch elements, which we are allowed to do.  Take a look at the original sketch that I worked with:

My little girl image shouted out for a square frame instead of a round one, and its angled band called for a straight and wider band to blend with my square frame.  I also decided to add a couple of corner curves and eyelets cut-outs to spruce up my layers and a sheer ribbon and bow.  I hope Charlene will enjoys her card as much as I had fun making it!

Ingredients are listed below:

Cardstocks:  Recollections Essentials (Violet); SU Whisper White. Patterns: Recollections: Purple Ditsy Floral; K&Co.-Watercolor Bouquet-Purple. Color Digital Image: Bandaging Kitty.  Die: Spellbinders: Classic Squares SM; Lacey Squares. SU Punch: Three Corner (retired).  EK Border Punch: Patterned Circles (cut in half).  Offray 5/8" Sheer Violet Ribbon.  Bath & Body Works-Magic in the Air/ Diamond Shimmer Mist. Frame (outside): 3-1/4". Frame (inside: 2-1/4".  Card Size:  4-3/4" x 6".

My Son's First Father's Day!!!

My son, Mark, is celebrating his first Father's Day this year, and I wanted his card to be very special.  I recently went to a cardmaking event hosted by Daralee Peterson, where we learn to do a tool box step-card, which turned out delightful.  Since my son is a home-builder by trade, what better card for him than a tool box...something he uses almost everyday of his life!

I had never made a step card before, so for me this was an added challenge to making this card.  I used Stampin' Up's Nail It stamps and Build It framelits dies for all the tools and items popping up all around the card's steps and drawers.  I just love how this turned out, and I'm sure Mark will as well!  Take a peek below: 

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up:  Cardstocks-Real Red, Crumb Cake; Silver Foil. Stamps-Nailed It, Urban District, Hardwood. Dies-Build-It framelits.  Ink-Early Espresso, Archival Black, Soft Suede (distressing). Embossing Folder-Hexagons Dynamic EF.  Step-Fold Technique.  Size: 4-/4" x 5-1/2".  (Thanks Dar for your lovely card design to replicate.  I tweaked drawer placement and a few tools to please my eye and created the interior design).

Graduation with Total Honors!

I'M GIDDY!  THIS CARD NAMED AS A

SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS CAS FAVORITE

WEEK ENDING - JUNE 18, 2017!!

Boy, you can't ask for much more!  Daughter Jackie just graduated today from the University of Washington with her Bachelors of Science Nursing and with summa cum laude 4.0 honors throughtout her journey to complete her B.S.N.  We are soooooo proud of her...I'm about to bust!

I decided to make Jackie's graduation card in UW colors...purple and gold...unfortunately, the picture shows it up more blue than purple...but really it is purple.  As I did not have any purple papers that were remotely appropriate, I went on Etsy and found some digital paper that I like in purples and gold.  Even though the paper looked purple and gold on the computer screen, they were navy blue and with white fleur de lis.  My next task was to move the two pieces into my PaintShop Pro program and re-color them to the appropriate colors,  That was finally achieve and I resized the papers in Word so the fleur de lis were smaller and the crown in the gold paper were also smaller.

After printing them, I decided to try something I've been thinking I should try.  About three months ago, when I was in Bath & Body Works, I saw a body mist named Magic in the Air, a diamond shimmer mist.  When I sprayed it on the paper sample piece, it put a beautiful shimmery mist all over the paper (and smelled good as well), and I thought, "Wow!  That would be great to use on cardmaking papers."  Now was the time to try it out, and it worked beautifully.  I sprayed it over all the papers and stamped images, except the graduation hat and the gold glimmer stars and tassel.  Unfortunately, the photo shot of the card does not show it off, but it's truly wonderful.  I see I will never have to buy Shimmer White cardstock again, because I can make my own!!!!  Take a peak at Jackie's finished grad card inside and out...I think she will love it.

Ingredients:  Cardstocks: Recollections Cardstock Essentials-purple; Stampin' Up Gold Glimmer (stars/ tassel), Naturals Ivory (retired); Clair Tales Purple & Gold Damask 06 & 07 (color-enchanced); DCWV Glitter Stack-golden yellow.  Stamps: Stampin' Up--Bravo (colored w/Copics).  Inks: Memento-Grape Jelly, Paris Dusk (two-step stamping).   Dies:  MFT-Stitched Star; Stampin' Up-Balloon Framelits (tassel); Impression Obsession-Instant Photo Corners.  Punch: Stampin' Up-IB Accents/ Star.  Bath & Body Works-Magic in the Air/ Diamond Shimmer Mist.  Computer-verse.  Size:  4-7/8" x 6".

Graduation Congratulations!!

A long-time friend of my daughter's son is graduating from high school...boy how time flies!  His mother and grandparents hosted a graduation barbecue picnic in their backyard, and we were invited to attend.  I wanted to make Cody a special graduation card for this big event in his life.

I chose 2 Cute Ink's digital graduation squirrel image, because all the while Cody was growing up, he had a favorite gray squirrel that he even named that lived in Grandma's backyard.  Cody was sure that this squirrel came back every spring to visit with him by running up on  the deck and beckoning and chattering to him each time the squirrel saw him in Grandma's backyard.  I thought it only fitting that his squirrel friend be featured on his graduation card.

I tried my Heidi Swapp Minc foil transfer machine on the "congratulations" tag, using the Royal Blue foil and backed it with a royal blue and Crushed Curry cardstock enchanced with the Clear Wink of Stella pen to given the background a bit of glittery sheen to match the foil sheen of the greeting.  That was lots of fun.  I'm anxious to try more cards using my new Minc machine.  Take a peek below at Cody's "squirrely" graduation card!

My final step was to find just the right verse to add to my card's inside design created to compliment the card front.  I was able to craft Cody's verse from an inspiration that I found on the Internet...I think it has just right message for this special young man.

Ingredients:  Cardstocks: SU-Whisper White, Crushed Curry; Recollections-Royal Blue.  Darice Core'dinations: Dark Blue Plaid. 2 Cute Ink Digi: Squirrely Graduate.  Copic Markers.  Dies:  MFT-Stitched Oval Scallop Frame; Spellbinders-Scalloped Ovals LG.  Punches-EK Scalloped Edges; Scallop Photo Corner (inside).  Minc: Foil transferred sentiment tag; Minc Transfer Foil: Royal.  Wink of Stella: Clear.  Computer-made verse.  Size: 5" x 6".