Thinking of You Pandas!

I went to a Stampin' Up cardmaking class a few weeks ago, where the Sale-A-Bration promotion supplies were introduced.  We made the cutest card with the freebie stamp "Party Pandas."  All the time while making this darling little card, I had ideas running around my head on things to do to dress it up.  Most card designs at classes are relatively simple due to cost and time constraints.  Our lovely hostesses encourage us to take an idea and run with it.  The original card design was made by Dar Peterson, and I've found a similar one on Pinterest by JoAnne Hewins.

I changed my card to a "Thinking of You" card instead of a birthday card, and I replaced one of the panda heads to eliminate his birthday party hat.  Several other changes I made were to add two more mat layers with the idea of adding more color.  The new card base color is Always Artichoke, and the second mat layer is a die-cut stitched scalloped mat in Certainly Celery (retired).   I added a Copic-colored sun to add a little good cheer, and some gold sequins for a bit of sparkle.  My panda placements are also a bit different as well.  I did use the Color Theory 6x6 paper pad's paint chip design for my bamboo stalks as in the original card.  I thought that was quite clever!

I will be sending my panda card to one of my Splitcoaststamper forum teammates, who lives across the country from me in Georgia.  She was the Teapot Party destination for the week of January 9, 2018, because she was in an automobile accident, and though not hospitalized, is in need of cheering up.  Take a peek at these cute little pandas below, who are ready to travel and send hugs across the nation:

Upon finishing with the re-inventing of my card front, I went to work creating an inside design that would coordinate with the theme, and also a verse befitting the occasion.  Here is what I came up with.  I think my SCS friend and teammate will enjoy her card, and will also let her know I'm wishing her well. 

 

JUST A NOTE:  I find it interesting the inconsistency of the coloring with the exact same lighting and the exact same paper colors.  The panda card front is almost just like the card, but the inside seems way off!

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up Paper:  Cardstock - Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery (retired); Patterned dsp: Color Theory. SU Stamps: Party Pandas (SAB-2018).  Ink: Memento-Tuxedo Black.  Dies: Stampin' Up: Bouquet Bunch Framelits (leaves); Simon Says: Scallop Stitches.  Stenciled sun-Copic colored.  Crystal Effects glaze.  Sequins: Pretty Pink Posh.  Computer sentiment: Font-Viner Hand ITC 16.5/ Bold.  Fussy-Cutting.  Double Fishtails: hand-cut.  Size: 4-3/4 x 6 inches.  

October Sister-in-Law Birthday....#7

I'm on the HOME STRETCH!  If you read my blog last May, you would have found that I have eight, YES, eight sister-in-laws; therefore, eight birthday cards to be sure I make...and don't forget anyone or be late!  My first card in May was for my only brother's wife, Diane.  The other seven are either for my husband's sisters (4) or his brother's wives (3)!  My last two sister-in-law birthday cards are the two in early October!  So, as I say, I'm on the HOME STRETCH!

The card I chose to make is for June, one of my husband's four sisters.  As her birthday is in the fall, I am able to make a fall card, which is so exciting!  I love fall colors and an excuse to make a card using the wonderful oranges, red-oranges, yellows, reds, burgundies, cinnamons, etc. that we see in nature's color palette as trees change colors and drop their leaves.  I cased the following card layout from a card my sister (Heidi Gonzales: My Lil Scrap Corner blogspot) taught in a Stampin' Up class a year ago.  I tried the layout of the leaves and acorns about three times last year and could never get them arranged evenly, so I gave up, deciding to bring it home and try it later.  Well, I was determined and I finally succeed on this fourth try. . .don't know why I was having such a time with it!  I changed the sentiment and its punched design so that I could use it as a birthday card.  I hope my sister-in-law likes her card and its fall colors as much as I do.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up Products:  Papers-Cherry Cobbler cs, Natural White cs.  Stamps-Day of Gratitude (retired).  Inks:  Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard (retired), Bravo Burgundy (retired), Early Espresso, Baked Brown Sugar (distressing).  Punch: Ex. Lrg. Oval.  Framelit die: Apothecary Accents. 3/8" Soft Suede Taffeta ribbon. Sentiment: computer-made.   

Thank Yous Are in Order!

I went to another of Liz Thayer's wonderful cardmaking events a few weeks ago.  It was called a Card Buffet, and this one had a little different slant.  There were 20 cards to pick from that you could make within the time frame of the cropping event all designed by Liz.  As everyone attending was a seasoned cardmaker, there was no instructions only the sample cards available to look at for assembly.  There was a set price for the first three cards and each card thereafter only increased your price by $1.00!  Now THAT is a bargain!  Of course, I wanted to make all 20, but unfortunately, I could only fit five in during the 3-hour period that we had.  But, Liz assured us that in the October Card Buffet coming soon, we would have another chance at those we missed, plus there would be some new additions as well!

I wanted to send a little thank you to both Liz for all of her hard work designing and making our sample cards and to Trish, who opened up her home for this event.  We surely appreciate Trish (and her husband) for allowing us to come in and invade their space, messing it up with lots of paper scraps and pieces that you know ended up on the floor instead of the wastebasket! 

As I was already running late getting cards mailed, I had no time to come up with a brand new design and make cards from scratch.  So, I dug into my stash to see what was there.  I came up with two cards from a set that I made during the first few months that I started to make cards!  I always loved these cards and especially the paper with the little soft glitter added to the backgrounds. They were perfect for what I had in mind.  I did a little re-do on the sentiment for one to fit the occasion better and created an inside design for each to coordinate with the outside.  I also switched out embellishments on the outside to pearls on one and totally added them to the other so that I could use complimentary pearls on the inside!  AND, drum roll. . .I actually made the "hello friend" card a bit shorter so that my pink scallop trim would fit on the inside better.  (For those of you who read my blog. . .I am always changing card kits I buy, and one of the things I most often do is to make the card larger. . .but not this time!  LOL.  I was pretty happy with the end results. 

  

This one is for Liz.  I hope she likes my little thank you card and her Starbuck's liquid refreshment!

This one is for Trish.  I hope she also likes my little thank you card and her Starbuck's liquid refreshment!

(Credit and thanks to my sister, Heidi Gonzales - My Lil' Scrap Corner (www.mylilscrapcorner.blogspot.com) for the class where she taught me how to make these cards...my very first cardmaking class!)

Keeping in Touch at Birthdays!

One of my lovely nieces has an August birthday!  I thought I would be fun to make her a little card.  I have made cards for her children and even her husband, as I am usually down visiting at the time of their birthdays, but I have never made one for her.  (Redding is too hot to be there in August...LOL!)  I have been wanting to use my telephone die from My Favorite Things, thus I wanted to come up with a birthday--telephone theme.  Giving that some thought, I came up with this idea, "BIRTHDAYS!. . .A Reason to Keep in Touch," which I thought would be just right.

I searched through my paper stash and came up with several pieces of paper and shades that I thought complimented one another.  After deciding on a basic idea of which papers might be used for what, I die-cut the telephone base and receiver, and I decided to emboss them to give them a little more character.  It turned out to be a little too much "character," so I ran them through my Big Shot again, with just the plates, flattening out the embossing a bit.  This was more the look I wanted, so I was satisfied, and the rest of the card developed from there.  Here is the card that I finished for Lindsey.

Recipe:  SU papers: Night of Navy cs (cardbase), Rose Red cs (mat 1), Pacific Point cs (telephone), Pool Party cs (sentiment/ inside), Regal Pattern Stack-Rose Red dsp (circle). Paper Pizazz: Blossoms on Aqua. Unknown DCWV stack: navy blossoms. MFT die/stamp set: Ring, Ring (telephone). Ink: Memento-Tuxedo Black, Colorbox-Chestnut Roan distressing. SU Emb. Folder: Petals-a-plenty. Spellbinders: Grand circles, Lifestyles: Frames 9. WRMK Deco Corner Punch; EK Curved Photo Corner-Large Punch (inside). Sentiment: Computer-made (Font-Tempus Sans-Bold).  Tim Holtz: Memo pin. SU Glimmer brad. Hug Snug Seam Binding: Fushia, Losang Blue. SU buttons. Karen Foster Scrapper's Floss: Pink, Dark Blue. 

Another Family Birthday!

I have many female family birthday's in the month of August, including my own!  My cousin-in-law, Barbara, had her birthday a few days ago.  She lives in the Midwest, halfway across the United States from me, and it is a rare treat when we are able to renew our friendship in person.  I wanted to send her a birthday card to remind her that I was thinking of her on her birthday and love having Facebook time with her, keeping up with her and her lovely family through her pictures and comments.

I saw a card when I was last in California at one of my favorite scrapbook stores, Paradise Scrapbook Boutique, in Chico, California, and I took a quick snapshot of it with my phone.  I have to tell you, I love Karen's store and all her lovely products, and I usually spend a fortune while there.  So, if you are ever traveling in northern California down I-5, take a quick jaunt to Chico and visit her store.  Its decor is lovely and vintagey and makes you feel right at home.  I guess spending my money at this store might be fortunate, because it meant that I had most of the papers and embellishments to make this card in my stash.  I was excited and ready to go to work to make Barbara's card.  

I did enlarge the card just a bit by adding two more layers with a vanilla cardbase and a pink mat before beginning the patterned papers.  I decided to make my vertical papers just a little bit wider than I thought the original card was and to add a ribbon band and sentiment with a double layered trim.  I just love the soft colors of this Pink Paislee paper, and it is just right for Barbara, as I think she will like the soft vintagey look of it.

Recipe:  Cardstocks: SU Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, Pool Party. Pattern: Pink Paislee/London Market-Mayfair & Curiosities (coordinating). Darice Transparent Vellum. Distressing: Colorbox Chestnut Roan. Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly punch. SU adhesive pearls, SU punches: Modern Label, Word Window. SU Pool Party seam binding ribbon. Stash: Chipboard frame, pearl hat pin, crystal bead, satin ribbon rose, rhinestone trim.

Thinking of You, Friend!

A very dear person and friend is having a bit of a difficult time of late.  Things just haven't been going her way at all.  It seems every turn she makes ends up at a dead end, and in totally the opposite direction than she expected.  It's one of those times when it is difficult to even find any uplifting or encouraging words to say!  I decided the best thing to do was to make her a card that will tell her I am certainly thinking about her a lot, praying for her, and wishing I could talk directly to the "Big Guy" to ask for immediate help and relief.

I went to a cardmaking event in March of this year, before my spring trip to California to visit family.  Our hostess and card designer was Liz Thayer, a Stampin' Up demonstrator, whom I know I have mentioned several times on my blog.  All of the cards we were to make were from the Stampin' Up Sale-A-Bration event going on at that time.  I confess that any time I have to use wood-block stamps, I have trouble.  I just can not get them positioned correctly because I can not tell where the image is going to end up on my paper and can not get the angle correct; therefore, I end up making a MESS!  This is what happened with this card that I finished today for my friend.  At the March event, we were to make two identical cards from each of six designs.  I decided to take my MESS home to see what repairs I could make as I had the stamp set in the clear version, which would make it a bit easier for me!

Since I ruined most of its parts, including the top flower layer, I decided I might as well do a little tweaking.  If you read my blog often, you know I am not overly fond of A2 size cards (4-1/4" x 5-1/2"); I like them to be a bit larger.  I had to re-cut almost all of the card parts from scratch, so, I decided to remodel its size and also add another brown mat layer closest to the vanilla cardbase.  Embossing the middle vanilla layer was a bit of a challenge because it was wider than the embossing folder.  It's not perfect, but I think it turned out okay since the few flaws are buried under the top two layers.  I'm going to have to read up to see if there is a technique to do this because I'm sure I was not doing it the best or easiest way!  I added another popped flower, a layered sentiment, a butterfly, and re-positioned my ribbon knot.

My finished card is 5-1/4" x 5-1/4". . .surprise. . .a square card. . .one of my favorite shapes and sizes for my cards!  All in all, I am pretty happy with my card's evolution and finished look.  I designed and embellished the inside to fit theme of the front and added a computer-made verse (Font: Coneria Script Demo-15) as well.  Thank you, Liz, for your card design idea.  I hope my friend likes her card and its message is "spot on."

Recipe:  SU stamp: Bloomin' Marvelous (SAB stamp). SU papers: Very Vanilla cs, Chocolate Chip cs. SU Ink: Primrose Petals; Always Artichoke; Soft Suede (distressing). Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder. SU Punches: Modern Label; Word Window. Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly punch. Primrose Petals Stitched Satin ribbon. Computer-made sentiment.

A BIG Thank You!

I went to a lovely, fun day of Stampin' & Sharing with Liz Thayer, a 14-year Stampin' Up veteran demonstrator.  Liz is a font of cardmaking knowledge, especially using Stampin' Up products, and when attending any of her classes or special events, it is always stupendous learning experience and a jolly good time!  As expected, Liz did not disappoint!  She just returned from convention, and it was a day full of sharing new ideas and tips to make cardmaking easier and a how-to discussion of the Faux Patina technique.  This is a technique that I am familiar with and have tried once on a card about a year ago, but still feel basically an amateur!  I loved Liz' color combination to achieve her rich patina.  We also got to make three cards using products in the new catalog.  

At the close of the day, when I went to pay for the class, what did find. . . I came with an empty wallet, and I never carry my checkbook!  But, blessings to Liz, who glossed over my mistake with her warm and fun-loving personality, making me feel less of an idiot.  As Liz did not allow this wonderful day to be ruined for me in embarrassment, I wanted to send her a card and a refreshing Starbucks gift card in thanks (along with her payment, of course)!  It was time to get out my cardmaking tools and get busy.  I decided to color the Magnolia stamp, "Traveling Tilda," and send her on her way with trunk loads full of thanks.  Here is my finished card, I hope Liz likes little Tilda's visit!  (Credit is given to my sister, Heidi Gonzales---my lil' scrap corner---for her original card design). 

Recipe: Magnolia stamp: Traveling Tilda, Stacked Luggage. Copic markers.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Chocolate Chip. MFT "At the Movies" Ticket stamp/die. Computer-made Sentiment. Papers: MME So Sophie-Charming; Bazzill-Intense Teal; Paper Arts Kraft. Ribbon: stash.

More Get Well Wishes!!!

My long-time friend, Marlene, is still fighting her battle with her back and recovery from numerous surgeries.  I wanted to send her a fresh batch of get well wishes, so out came my stash of kits to complete the card below.  As most of you know by now, I always love my sister's cards and wonderful creative ideas (Heidi Gonzales - www.mylilscrapcorner.blogspot.com).  This kit was one I got from her over two years ago.  My only change to the original design was to enlarge it a bit and change the sentiment to fit a get well card.  And, I, of course, composed and poem and decorated the inside. 

 Get well soon, Marlene!

Get Well to a Long-Time Friend

Just a few years ago, we re-located some old friends from our early twenties that had been missing from our lives for over 40 years while we were busy being transferred many times by my husband's employer, only to find that they have been having some fairly serious health problems.  To cheer up Marlene, who is having some severe back problems with surgeries, infections, and the list goes on, I remodeled a card from a stash of kits I had on hand.  The original card was designed by my sister, Heidi Gonzales (www.lilscrapcorner.blogspot.com).  I thank her for the inspiration and the original kit.

I composed a little verse and decorated the inside of the card before sending it on its way.  I hope Marlene enjoys the card!

We are certainly hoping her pain and infections diminish and for further good news on her recovery!

2012 Christmas Wishes for a Vintage Aunt!

My husband asked me to make a homemade Christmas card for his aunt who is in her 90's, and I thought it was a great idea.  As I get more practiced in cardmaking, I was intending on increase the number of homemade cards that I send.  Where better to start than to add Aunt Joanie to the homemade card list.  My card for her is using a very subtle paper in browns, reds, and whites.  I love the little cardinal birds scattered hee and there about the paper.  I hope Aunt Joanie likes her first homemade Christmas card from us.

2012 Christmas Wishes for a Friend

I wanted to make a Christmas card for one of my friends that I worked with for many years and now try to see as often as time allows from both of our busy schedules.  I think hers is busier than mine, as she still works and I'm retired and just busy visiting and making cards!   I was remembering Carla coming in from recess duty (at an elementary school) and going in to get a cup of hot chocolate or tea to get her hands warmed up so she could type again, so I thought this little stamped image of hot chocolate was just the thing for her card.  I wish her and her family a very merry Christmas and hope it is full of good cheer!

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.

A Sister-in-law Birthday Following Mine!

Another of my sister-in-laws celebrates her birthday in early, early September, but this one is special...her birthday is the day after mine!!  I made her this little card using my new Stampin' Up flower stamp set with lots of glitter added to match my glittery paper.   A card by Liz Thayer at a shoebox crop I attended inspired me.  I adapted a similar fold idea, but went with a deeper 3/4-fold, added a background edge to the flower stamp, used the Dotted Scallop ribbon border on the flower and the sentiment added to the front.  I finished off the card with inside decorations and a personalized verse.

Happy Birthday June. . .hope your had a delightful day and you enjoyed your card made just for you!

Recipe:  Stampin'Up stamp: Blooming with Kindness.  StampinUp Ink & Markers: Stazon Black; Midnight Muse, Wisteria Wonder.  Paper: SU Midnight Muse; DCWV-Plaid/ Stripe Stack.  SU punch: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border.  SU Ribbon: Taffeta Midnight Muse. SU Button: Vintage Faceted.  Computer-made sentiment.

My special sister...celebrates her birthday!

My sister, and cardmaking mentor, is having a birthday!  It is almost mandatory that I make her a card...right?  It is surprising, though, that both of us find we miss each others birthdays in cardmaking because are just so darn busy making cards for everyone else.  This year, I was going to a shoebox card swap, so I used the opportunity to make a card just for my sister for this event.  Here is what I came up with...hope she enjoys it!   (It was so three-dimensional that I had to send it as a package...LOL!)

Happy Birthday, Heidi, Sister Dear...Luv you!

Paper: Joann's openstock/ cardstock; Helen Grace; Minds Eye.

Sizzix: Daisies Flower Bigz Die; MFT Homespun Birdhouse Die-namics; Spellbinders Elegant Posts.

Offray Ribbon; Recollections brown mini pearls; pearl brad.

Graduation Owl Contratulations!

Very late last night, my son contacted me with a brilliant idea (he knows I'm a night owl, LOL).   But, the catch was he needed help with his idea!  Hmm...the question is, should I say yes or no, which is the right answer!  Dumb me, I just don't know how to say no!  Lo and behold...it was a graduation card needed for the daughter of an old friend.  The catch was he needed it by 8:00 a.m. the next morning because that was when they were leaving for Idaho for the graduation.  Guess who was up all night getting this wonderful card done...but, I am really happy with how my little graduation owl turned out:

Your welcome, son!

And, here is the card's decorated inside with verse:

2012 Easter Whimsy!

My last four Easter cards will be for my kids and their spouses if married.  They get to have the whimsical Easter cards depicting baskets, bunnies, and chicks.  I have a card full of whimsical stickers from BoBunny that I think will be perfect to building on.

My first whimsical Easter card will be for the oldest of the children. . .David.  So, not too foofoo for sure, so I chose the Easter basket sticker.  I found a wonderful polka dot paper that had all the right colored dots to coordinate with the eggs in the basket.  I did pop off a bow on the basket, but in thinking about it after, I should probably have used a ribbon knot. . .oh well, maybe next time!

My second card will be for second sibling, Michele, and her husband, Don.  I decided this one would go to the feminine side and my next card for them will be toward the masculine style.  They will get the cute little golden chick sticker.  I used a doily to set the chick off and popped him up off the patterned circle.  I also added a little machine zigzag stitching and pinked the edges of my second mat layer.  I was really happy with they way he turned out and I think they will like their card, especially Michele.

The third in line is Jackie, and she will get the little pink bunny for sure!  I decided a pink scallop frame for the little bunny and a double floss twine bow for her ear.  She is just so cute with her little blue nose matching her bow!  I think Jackie will love it!

The fourth and last of my urchins is Mark, so this last card will be for him and his lovely wife, Ginger.  I had this little yellow chickie paper with had a shimmery look setting them off from the matte background.  One of my stickers was a puffy yellow chick that went perfect with this paper.  I thought yellow feathers tucked behind the popped up chick would add the final touch, and here is Mark and Ginger's Easter card:

Religious - Easter 2012!

Easter Cards can vary a great deal in their style. . .from whimsical to vintage to religious.  As my first card will be for my mother-in-law, I knew religious was the right choice.  I had this beautiful chipboard cross that I recently bought with Easter in mind, so I went searching for just the right papers to show it off.  Though the picture does not show it off, I embossed the white background mat, and it really looks great with the flocked aqua patterned paper I used to mat the cross and the sentiment.  I know Alice will love her card.

Grandma Alice's Easter card

A Son's Birthday in October, 2011

My youngest son, Mark, birthday is in October.  I like to make cards that focus on who the person is. . . .by depicting their job, their hobbies, their travels, etc.  Mark is a builder of homes, and takes after his Dad in being able to repair anything.  One difference from his Dad is that he builds homes from scratch, and that is something that his father has never done, though he can do some pretty major home repairs as needed.  

This was my second birthday card ever for Mark, and I had found these cute little metal tool embellishments during my travels in California and I had to buy them for future use.  They, of course, were perfect for Mark.  I loved the colors on Mark's card and the way it turned out.  One thing that may not be clear by the picture is that the aqua patterned paper just below the tool rectangle mats actually has raised and embossed tools, which is pretty cool-looking on the real card.

September 2011: A Birthday Follows Mine

It was time to make a birthday card for my sister-in-law whose birthday follows mine by just one day.  And yes, again, she would get a Copic-colored card.  I found this little Magnolia stamp that looked like Tilda was lounging back, low-key on a summer afternoon.  June lives in California territory where the sun still shines warmly and brightly in early September, so I thought she was perfect.  I colored Tilda's clothes to match the My Mind's Eye belly band that my little image looked like she was sitting on.  Love those corals, browns, tans, and greens.  I was pretty sure June would like her card very much.

(Heidi Gonzales: My Lil' Scrap Corner design: enlarged, modified and add-on to make it more me.)

Sister-in-Law's June 2011 Birthday

My sister-in-law, Thelma, has a birthday in June, but I just missed it.  She is my husband's youngest brother's wife.  Since I am really getting into this hobby of cardmaking, I thought I would like to send Thelma one of my homemade cards.  I had quite a stash of cards built up by now and in looking through them, I found just the one that I wanted to send to Thelma, because it suited her and the fact that the card was a belated birthday wish.  I also knew I could not start from scratch and make one right then that I thought would suit her any better.

So, Thelma got one of my woodless-colored pencil little girls who seems to be standing there with a flower for peace-offering because she is late getting her birthday wishes off.  I love this little girl image with her wispy little red hair and her jaunty little flowered hat.  We called Thelma on her birthday to wish her good wishes, so I know Thelma knows we were thinking of her.  But, this little card will remind her that it is true!

 (Heidi Gonzales - My Lil' Scrap Corner  design: enlarged and modified)