SC521 -- Strips and Strips

Today is New Year's Eve and the house is rather quiet. Everyone has gone home so I had a little "me" time this morning. I made another card for last week's sketch challenge (SC520) and I made a card using today's sketch.

Today, I was playing with stripes again. I punched four squares with a pink stripe going from corner to corner. Different designs can be made with the squares depending on how they are placed. This time I created squares on point in a square. The striped paper is layered on Always Artichoke card stock and placed on a white card base. I added three enamel dots in the lower right corner to break up all the straight lines. Below is a picture of the smaller square; you can see how the four squares are placed.

 

SC520



The focal image was stamped, then I used a stencil to add the dots. I used Distressed Ink in three colors -- dusty concord (purple), tumbled glass (blue) and worn lipstick (pink). I used the same inks on the background piece which was then embossed with polka dots. The butterfly was stamped with SU Island Indigo ink on a scrap left after the circle was cut and then covered with glitter.

SC520 -- A Pink Thank You

Family started arriving on Christmas Eve, the day of the sketch challenge. No time for crafting that day! Our daughter and her family left on Friday. Our son and his wife left this morning. So, while doing laundry this morning, I got to do a little card making. Since needing some thank you cards, I decided to go that direction. I took several liberties with the sketch.

I made the sketch my focal image. The large square was made by using four smaller squares cut using a Spellbinders die. See pictures below. The flower was made using the SU Mixed Bunch stamp set and coordinating punch, along with the pansy punch and the petite pedal punch. I crumpled the Pink Pirouette colored card stock, brushed each layer with Rose Red ink and assembled the flower using a silver brad.

Steps for making the square--

 

Happy New Year to everyone!

 

 

CAS304 -- Butterflies Three

This is my card for Mondays CAS challenge. We were to choose a card from Janeen's  gallery to CASE. This is the card that I chose -- Flight of the Flutterbys.

Here is my card --

 

 

SC519 -- For You

Today's sketch from SCS --

I changed the square format to the standard A2 size card. For the base I used SU Pool Party card stock. For the second layer, on the white card stock, I stamped the sun from the SU set  "Kinda Electric" in crushed curry ink (which became layer 3). Next, I used a stamp from SU Gorgeous Grunge set and stamped it in lost lagoon ink. This was to add texture and tone down the white card stock. Layer 4 was made using Lost Lagoon card stock. The flower was stamped on Pool Party card stock with lost lagoon ink. The leaves were cut with a new die on a piece of green scrap card stock I found my work space. The greeting was a stamp from "Just Believe". Finally, I think I have finished and used all the elements from the sketch.

SC518 -- Friends

The sketch for today's challenge at SCS was a simple one but a powerful one.

I needed another birthday card. While working at my computer this morning, I saw this piece of printed paper in a paper file at the back of my desk. As I looked at it, I knew that it was the one to use this morning. So my search for coordinating papers began. Certainly Celery -- perfect. Midnight Muse -- won't work. Blackberry Bliss -- Wrong color family.Wisteria Wonder -- another perfect choice. So the work began--

 

Since I wanted to show as much of the paper as possible, I had to rotate the sketch. I also wanted to use the printed words on the paper to show as part of the sentiment, I had to careful cut the paper. The bottom line says "A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway". (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

The line just above that says " Friendship lightens every burden and makes the sun shine brighter". The greeting, stamped on the white layer is from the Sweet 'n Sassy stamp set called "Sunshine & Flowers".

 

 

CAS302 -- Singing Happy Birthday

I was finally able to make a card for Monday's CAS challenge at SCS. The challenge was "The First Noel -- add music to your card". I CASE'd one of my own cards that I made in 2012. Your can see the card here.

Card Candy

Here are the gifts that I made for all the gals in our stamp club. I ran across this idea during the summer and thought that I would give it a try. Fun to make and fun to get. These pictures were taken before they were packaged.

 

Our Christmas Party

Last night was our stamp club's Christmas party. We met at our local Olive Garden restaurant. There were only two gals that could not make it.

Judie made a little Christmas tree for each one filled with chocolate.

 

 

Mary made a little gift tag for everyone

 

 

and so did Bess

 

 

We were to bring a small box filled with gift tags or cards. This is the one that I got which was made by Lynne.

 

 

The Christmas card that I got was made by Judie.

 

 

I am so thankful for these special ladies. Each one has blessed my life in so many ways. I look forward to our times together during 2015.

 

Two Little Boxes

Two little boxes filled with 3 x 3 cards for Christmas. December 4 is our stamp club's Christmas party and we are each to bring a box of tiny cards to exchange. In the process I ended up making two boxes. I am looking forward to seeing everyone's creations. The first one was for a friend who left for Florida last week. The second box is the one I am taking to the party.

 

These are the cards that fill the box.

 

 

SC517--Happy Birthday

The sketch for today's challenge at SCS --

and the card I made--

CAS300 -- Winter Wildlife

 Today's CAS challenge was "Winter Wildlife".  What a great theme. This is my card for today's challenge--

The stamp that I used is from Hero Arts. I used SU Midnight Muse ink to do my stamping. I then used the same ink to sponge the sky. I also used Memento's Gary Flannel ink to soften the white snow. SU Midnight Muse card stock was used to accent the different layers.

SC515 -- Christmas Flower

I want to post my card for today's sketch challenge at SCS.

I have been working on some card embellishments and this flower was lying on my desk. A special friend had let me use her die which I think was from Cheery Lyn Designs. I had cut several out several sets using SU Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive card stock and put them together on Monday night.

Last night I was working with my Cricut, my laptop and the software "My Craft Room". I had cut out several shapes and left them lying on my desk. This morning when I was looking at the sketch, one of the shapes seemed to fit for layer # 3. I had cut the top layer out of white card stock and it just seemed to be lacking something. Then the idea hit me to try using some card stock that I had gotten a few days ago from my local scrapbooking store. It is from SEI's collection Holiday Traditions. This piece is called "crystal icing." It is embossed and has just the right touch of sparkle and glitter. It was just what the card needed.

CAS299--Joy

Today's CAS challenge was "Simply Snowflakes". I chose to use a long time favorite embossing folder from Cuttlebug. I embossed a white piece of cardstock with snowflakes, cut a diamond using Spellbinders diamond dies from sliver glitter paper and used the word "Joy" which had been cut using Stampin' Up's "Wondrous Wreath Framelit Dies" from cherry cobbler card stock. Finally, I chose the color cherry cobbler for the card base.

SC513--Many Stars

Last night I finally made a card for sketch challenge 513 posted at SCS on November 5, 2014. It was an easy sketch but the inspiration was just not there. To many other things kept taking priority. Here is the sketch and then the card that I made.

The card base is Stampin' Up's Night of Navy card stock. For the background I used white card stock sponged with Night of Navy ink on top and Brocade Blue ink (retired) on the bottom. For the strip I used 5/8" white grosgrain ribbon. For an accent I added a 1/8" glitter strip which was cut from a piece of 3/8" Glitter strip made by American Craft which I purchased from Jo-Ann's sometime in the past. The stars were cut from paper that I purchased at Michael's using Spellbinders star dies. The sentiment "Peace" was from a set of Christmas clear stamps that I have had for several years.

May you have "Peace" today.

SC514--Thank You

Getting a new computer and getting everything loaded and set up is a real challenge. As a result I am a little frustrated, but I wanted to get my card for today's sketch challenge posted.

 

 

I used SU Elegant Eggplant card stock for the card base and Wisteria Wonder designer paper to make the top layer. The flower stamp was from Michael's -- I think it came from the dollar bin. After stamping it with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, I used Copic markers to add color. This sketch was very simple but elegant.

CAS297 -- JOY

Today's challenge was to make a non-traditional Christmas card using either an image that isn't usually associated with Christmas or a color that is not normally used for the holidays.

For my card I chose to use a non-tradition color. I chose Stampin' Up's colors Lost Lagoon and Pool Party. I also used a scrap of designer paper from SEI. I kept the card very simple. The letters were cut using some Sizzlit dies. I used the negative image and glued it onto a 1 1/4-inch circle punched from the Lost Lagoon card stock. The Pool Party panel was stamped with a stamp from the "Gorgeous Grunge" set with Pool Party ink.

SC512 -- Marigold Inspiration

Back in September my husband had a doctor's appointment. It was one of those yearly check-in visits so that he could get a perscription renewed for CPAP supplies. I didn't go in with him; I was working on something in the car. After a while, I got out and was walking around. I came across the most beautiful marigolds I have ever seen (or at least that I remember). I didn't have my camera so I went back to the car and got my phone. My phone is about 8 years old and I don't get good pictures, but I tried. The yellow made the flowers glow in the sunshine. I wanted to try to create a flower that would remind me of the ones I saw. I don't have a flower stamp that really looks like a marigold, but I found one that I thought would work in the Stampin' Up set called "Peaceful Flowers". I colored my stamped image with copic markers.

This morning I saw the sketch challenge, plus I am in need of a birthday card. So I started to work on my card. The first picture is the one I took of the flowers. The second one is the sketch. The third picture is my card.

For the card base I used SU's Cajun Craze card stock. The other pieces were scraps that was on my cutting counter for another project that had not gotten moved. I hope my friend likes her birthday card.

CAS296 -- Halloween

This is my card for today's SplitCoast Stampers "clean and simple" challenge. There was a card that I found about a year ago on Pinterest that I was going to "CASE". This was a good day to do that. Here is a link to the original card that I found months ago. It is called "Happy Halloween Eyes". This is my version. The eyes are made using different size punches. I thought it was so cute.

CAS294 -- Fly Away

The challenge on October 13 was to "poke a hole in it". I recently purchased some new dies from Spellbinders that have a pierced insert that can be used with the cutting die. Love using them. That's how I made all the little holes. We were leaving for Tennessee the following day, my computer was in the shop and I just ran out of time. This was the card that I made.