"I Did It"

I have had this desire for the last few weeks to make one of the stair step cards that I had been seeing on Pinterest. I searched and searched trying to find a tutorial on how to make one. I found several but they all seemed rather complicated. Many were written with the measurements written in centimeters. I could have converted the centimeters to inches, but I wanted it done for me. I was being lazy, I guess. I finally found instructions that seemed to be ones that I could follow. After making several prototypes, I finally came up with my own plan. It was time to try using some of the new card stock from Graphic 45 that I had purchased not too long ago. Here is my card---

Here is a list of the things I used--

• A black card base cut to measure 11 1/2" x 6"
• Paper from the 12" x 12" pad of the Graphic 45 collection "Guilded Lily" 
• "Vintage Photo" Distress ink
• Spellbinders Petite Oval Dies for cutting out the image on the front of the card
• White seam binding (Hug Snug) that I had dyed with re-inkers, crinkled and allowed to dry
• Our Daily Bread Designs "Flower Border" stamp (stamped on natural card stock and heat embossed with gold embossing powder) then cut out with the Spellbinders Label 18 die
• flower stamp from Stampin Up's "Colorful Seasons" stamp set, cut out with coordinating die (stamped on Blushing Bride card stock using the Blushing Bride ink pad -- details added with the SU Primrose Petal marker and yellow Stickles)"
• Finished card size  --  4 1/4 " x 6" 

I hope to be able to share my instructions at a later date. I have to figure out how to write them all down so that someone else could follow them.

By The Lake

Earlier this month I posted a card very similar to this one. I love creating water scenes. This time its a lake scene with mountains in the background. I love this chair. It reminds me of spending a quiet day by the water's edge.

"Be still and know that I am God"

 Psalm 46:10

A Splitcoast Stampers favorite for the week ending July 30.

I feel blessed.

A Birthday Greeting

Another birthday card -- Sometimes I need a birthday card and don't have much inspiration. That was my case a few weeks ago. I found a small piece of the floral designer paper in my scrap box. It became my inspiration. I let the colors do the talking. Not a complicated card but one that I was happy to give.

Here is a close up of my little flower. I sponged the edges and after adding a little shaping to the petals, I used a marker to add more color to the center of the flower. I think it gives life to the flower.

Praying that you have a beautiful day!

Pretty Papers

This was a fun card to make and easy too. The hardest part is deciding what "pretty" papers to use. These were papers from Graphic 45. The flowers were made using a die from Cheery Lynn Designs. You get a little different look depending on how you slide the belly band on.

You start out with a card base measuring 12" x 5 1/2", scored at 4 1/4", 7 1/4" and 10 1/4 ". Fold and then decorate with some of those beautiful papers found in your stash. Each layer is cut 1/8" smaller than the measurement of the panel. I prefer the smaller borders, but that is my choice. I only used two different papers. Both sides of the paper with the brown was used.

Tri-fold Revisited

I think this turned out to be a very special card. I found this fold on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago. I had several pieces of scrap designer paper laying on my work space from another project. When I saw how to make this card, I decided to see what I could make.

I used a black card base then chose pieces that would fit each part. The card is so easy to make. The card base is a piece of card stock cut 5 1/2" x 11" and scored at 3" and 7 1/4". The card stock is folded with the two side panels folded over each other. I chose to have the smaller 3" panel on top. All of top pieces (layers) are cut 1/8" smaller than the measurements of the panel. I like the very small borders -- about 1/16". I think the smaller borders accent the beauty of the paper, especially when the card base is black.

The flowers were made using the Cheery Lynn Designs tea rose dies. I used Soft Sky card stock and sponged the edges with a distress ink.

This Little Piggy

What a fun stamp set! I loved this stamp set when I began seeing cards made with it. I got the set last month but had not been able to get inspired to use it. Yesterday was the "day". This is my card.

I have been looking at cards that are made with unique folders. There are so many. Yesterday I ran across a video showing how to make the "squash fold" card. I had done this fold years ago but had forgotten about it.This video sparked the inspiration I needed. "Here is the a link" to the video.

Here is the card that I made. The finished size of the card is a 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" square card. The card base is Stampin Up's "Lucky Limeade" accented with Calypso Coral and Island Indigo. I stamped my little piggy onto 90 lb. watercolor paper with VersaFine Black Onyx ink and heat embossed it using clear embossing powder. I used the Stampin' Up watercolor pencils and my aqua brush to color the image.

Such cute stamps.

Using A New Birthday Stamp

I just finished a birthday card using a new set that I just received called "Big on Birthdays". I love the large design.

For the card base I used Blushing Bride card stock. The birthday image was stamped onto white card stock using Memento Gray Flannel ink. The leaves were colored with a green copic marker. The flowers, from the retired Petite Petals stamp set, were stamped on Blushing Bride card stock using Blushing Bride ink and punched out using the coordinating punch. Rhinstones were used to accent the center of the flowers and the dot over the "i". To soften the large white area, I used a stamp from the "Touches of Texture" stamp set and Blushing Bride ink.


July  16, 2017
This card was mentioned in the "Favorites for the week ending July 16".

Joy Fold Sympathy Card

Having fun making cards using the "Joy Fold".  As always, I have used several sets to make this card and I love all of them. I used "Colorful Seasons", "Best Birds" and "Flourishing Phrases" -- all by Stampin' Up.

For the card base I used Primrose Petal card stock. The inks I used were Memento Rich Cocoa, Blushing Bride and a touch of Primrose Petals in the centers of each punched flower.

July 16, 2017
This card was mentioned in the "Favorites for the week ending July 16, 2017 at SplitcoastStampers.

By The Sea Shore

When I first saw the "Seasonal Layers" thinlets die set in the new Stampin' Up catalog, I fell in love with it. I began seeing cards with the chair on them. Then one day as I was leaving one of the ladies rooms at church I saw this picture--

At that point I knew that this was a set that would enjoy having and using. The set arrived on Wednesday and this afternoon I made a card with it. I used the picture I had seen as my inspiration.

I created the background first with sponges and ink. Then I added the foliage on the left side. That stamp is from the "Wetlands" set and markers were used to color it before stamping. The chair is from the Stampin' Up "Seasonal Layers" thinlet die set. The sentiment is from one of Our Daily Bread Designs "Mini Tags" set. For the card base I used "Night of Navy" card stock and layered the focal image onto a piece of Brocade Blue card stock before gluing it to the card base.


July 16, 2017 -- This card was mentioned in "Favorites for the week ending July 16, 2017".

"Fancies" to "Die" For

Do you find it hard to make a card without using dies, thinlits, framelits or whatever they are called.

I DO!!!

I love coordinating stamp and die sets.

In preparing for an up coming class on "fancy fold cards", I have found I am going more and more to the beautiful dies and matching stamp sets that I have in my collection. This is the first card I would like to share. I think is called a "joy fold". The card base is cut 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 3". The small card is cut 3" x 8" and scored at 4". Each of the top layers are cut 1/8" smaller than the piece it is going on top of. You can make them any size you like; the small 1/16" border  happens to be my favorite.

I have used a Stampin' Up set  called "Best Birds" with the coordinating set of  "Birds and Blooms" thinlets. The card base is Bermuda Bay card stock accented with Pool Party designer series paper. I colored the branch with my SU watercolor pencils and a blender pen. After stamping and cutting out the flowers, I added some accents to the center of each flower with my Bermuda Bay marker.

In order to make the accent piece in the lower left corner, I cut several 1" black circles with a punch. Glued them together, one on top of the other. The leaves were stamped (tip of the branch), colored and cut out. On top of the leaves, I added three little flowers. The last one was popped up using a dimensional.

I am not sure what I will use this card for so I added a sentiment that will allow the card to be used for many different occasions.

50 Years

2017 has had many 50 year anniversaries.

1. 50 years since I did my student teaching in home economics at a high school in Nashville, Tennessee.
2. 50 years since I graduated from Belmont University, also in Nashville.
3. 50 years since Don and I were married on June 10.
4. 50 years since we arrived on Bonaire (July 10) to begin our time of service with Trans World Radio as a couple. Don had already been serving with Trans World Radio for three years.

Many things have taken place in those following 50 years. I made a mini album for Don's anniversary card highlighting many events leading up to our marriage and the following years. I hope to share that mini album in another post very soon.

Today I would like to share the cards Don and I received from friends in one of my stamping groups. Each was so unique and beautiful. Pictures do not do them justice.

made by Carol

made by Sandra

made by Jan S.

made by Margaret

made by Judie

from Janice

made by Cris

made by Jan E.

made by Bess

made by GiGi

Maddie's Birthday

On July 4 Maddie will celebrate her 12th birthday. Time is going so fast. I have often made her birthday card around the 4th of July theme. I wanted this year's card to be different.

So--- I made a Dutch Fold card. So cool and easy too. Maddie loves animals. I don't have many animal stamps so I decided to use dies that coordinate with the SU set "Best Birds". The card base is Crisp Cantaloupe card stock. Found a piece of the designer paper in the same color. The bottom squares are the reverse of the top piece. And black became my accent color.

I found two different instructions for making this card. I chose to use this set of instructions--Beyond Beaches and Blessings. Lynn did a great job in explaining how to make the card base for this fold.