A Birthday Marquee Message!

One of my cardmaking besties has a Spring birthday.  I am determined to make her a card totally from scratch using nothing that is semi-prepared as a test to see how well my left hand will do post-surgery.  I did stamping, die-cutting, dry embossing, fussy-cutting, Copic coloring, and a shaker card.  A pretty great test, and I'd say I'm pretty pleased with the results.  The hand is a little tired, a little achy, and a bit swollen, but fabulous compared to pre-surgery swelling and pain!

I was also determined to get back into the Splitcoaststamper (SCS) challenges, and I have accomplished that with a vengeance!  I found eleven challenges that I can enter by tweaking my design idea here and there.  That is a new RECORD!  I can usually get in seven to nine, but have never even done ten before!  It all started with a card by cdimick (aka Catherine).   Catherine is an SCS Alpha sister, who is the current Featured Stamper at Splitcoaststampers.  I browsed her gallery and chose a card to "case" as the challenge requires, which featured a stamp set that caught my eye.  I browsed the inspiration challenge photos for some ideas, which led to the color challenge with the exact blues and greens I wanted to use, and on and on it went!

Meanwhile, I was keeping in mind that this card is for a very special friend, and I wanted it to be special for her with a huge focus on her birthday.  The Stampin' Up Marquee Messages stamp set was perfect!  I made it into a shaker to fit the Fan Club April Monthly challenge, and it really set off the marquee stamp perfectly.  First, I dry embossed a confetti pattern onto my Coastal Cabana cardstock and added sparkles by "painting" on glitter glaze with a foam brush. Love that sheen!  My finishing touches to dress up the shaker marque frame was to pop on some flowers, leaves, and oodles of pearls.  I must say I was pretty please with the results, and I am pretty sure my friend will like it as well!  Take a peek below.

Ingredients:  Stampin Up products:  Cardstock--Whisper White, Tranquil Tide, Coastal Cabana, Balmy Blue.  Stamps--Marquee Messages (shaker frame/ sentiments), Vibrant Vases (flowers), Happy Birthday Gorgeous (leaf). Embossing Folder--Confetti.  Pearls.  Metallic Sequins Asst.  Other:  Sargernt Art Acrylic Glitter Glaze.  Copic markers.  Ink--Memento Tuxedo Black.  Buttons Galore--Aquamarine Party Mix.  Wink of Stella/ Clear.  Chatterbox verse.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

A Grandbaby on the Way!

I'M THRILLED!  THIS CARD IS NAMED A

SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS FAVORITE OF THE

WEEK ENDING - JANUARY 29, 2017!!

I am going to be a Grandma. . .hallelujah, yippee!  My youngest son and his wife are expecting at the end of February, and we are celebrating this new little person, who is on her way, with a baby shower!  The theme for room decorations are woodland animals, and the shower invitation arrived with a darling little white, Arctic baby fox wearing a pompom-laden, knit snow hat.  My creative juices immediately began to whirl and groan, as they were so not use to being accessed.

I have not been to my craft table since the night before Christmas Eve. . .I was just too sick to care. . ., and this went on for four weeks and three days without any noticeable improvement.   Finally, on the 31st day, halfway through the day, I noticed my constant coughing was considerably better, my nose was not running continually, and my sinuses were a little less plugged.  By the end of the day, I was pretty sure I was really on the mend.  It took three days, and I was quickly back to normal with an abundance of energy!  Thank the Lord!

For my card, my original intent was to use the Stampin' Up Foxy Friends stamps and punch set, but after a bit of searching through my digital images, I found a cute little fox that I thought would be perfect sitting on the left lower side of my shaker circle.  Yes...I wanted to make a shaker card.  Once I made my mind up about those two things, my card flew together.  I was able to use several new dies that I had recently acquired, which lend themselves to a woodsy, fox theme.

I finished my little woodland fox card, and then completed the decor and verse for my card interior.  Take a peek below...I'm pretty pleased with the way Ginger's card turned out!  I think she'll love it!

Ingredients:  Stampin” Up products:  Cardstock—Shimmery White – cardbase; Daffodil Yellow; Soft Sky.  Stamps—Weather Together (raindrops); Foxy Friends (tree stump); Baby Bear (sentiment).  Ink--Sahara Sand; Old Olive (mixed).  Punch—Scallop Edge (retired-inside design), Curvy Corners (retired-inside design).  Embossing Powder—White.  Other:  October Afternoon pattern paper—Hide and Seek (floral.  Digital image:  Pixel Paper Prints—Woodland Animals (fox).  Dies—Impression Obsession—Three Trees Background; Reverse Confetti—Edgers Confetti Cuts (scalloped "V"); Cottage Cuts—Stitched Wide Circle Frame, Pierced Ovals; My Favorite Things—Stitched Circle Scallop Frame; Spellbinders—Scalloped Petite Ovals.  Stash:  1/8” Daffodil Yellow Satins ribbon.  Sequins—misc. colors.  Size:  4-3/4" x 6."