Creative Heart Designs

Life is Fragile...

2012-01-24T15:26:00.007-06:00

This is a card I made for the current Flutterby Wednesday Challenge. It's an open challenge so anything with a butterfly, fairy or angel is allowed. I altered the sketch that I used in the last post (just a bit), to make this card in blues and tans. I started with an A-2 tan, tent style card.

I ran a blue layer through my Cuttlebug using a border embossing folder (to get the flourish on each side). To the blue layer I added a center layer of decorative paper. I die cut a blue and a white oval shape for the center of the card. At the bottom of the white oval I stamped a flourish (SU) in blue. I used one of my Christian um stamp images for the sentiment. I punched a Martha Stewart butterfly, added pearls for the body, then attached it to the flourish. After attaching the oval layer, I added three small pearls to the top and bottom of the card.

Happy Birthday

2012-01-21T07:36:00.035-06:00

This week has really passed fast. In fact, January seems to be flying by as well. I haven't made a card in several days, so today I thought I'd make a card that combines two stamping challenges. One is a color challenge and the other a sketch challenge. I started with the current challenge at Pals Paper Arts, which has a great sketch.

The color challenge is over at The Friday Mashup. For this challenge we are to combine the colors, Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red and Early Espresso. The second part of the challenge is to do some paper piercing on the card. I don't do much paper piercing so I thought I'd give it a try.

I used the red color for the base card, the back oval layer and the ink color. The pink color is used for the embossed layer that I did the paper piercing on. The brown color is used as a back layer on the sentiment. The Happy Birthday sentiment and the flourish are Stampin' Up! images. The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch. The embossing folder I used on the pink layer is a Sizzix border folder. If you'd like to see an enlarged view of the card, just click on the photo.

My CuttleKid

2012-01-15T02:28:00.004-06:00

This is my granddaughter, Sarah. I've nicknamed her Mini-Me because she is very much like me. We like a lot of the same things including making cards and paper crafting. For Christmas I bought her a CuttleKid (child's Cuttlebug) and some dies, so today she wanted to do some crafting. I set her up at the work table, gave her a shelf to store her supplies and she was all set. I just love watching her and seeing the creative heart she has.

Target Mailboxes

2012-01-13T22:03:00.004-06:00

The word is out...Target has those cute little dollar mailboxes for sale again. I always try and get a few to decorate, but this year it's been harder to find them. After hitting a few Target stores, I finally found a few and bought them all. Yesterday I decorated a couple for a swap I am participating in.

I kept it simple this time, going with a red, white and black color theme. The heart image on the front is a PSX image stamped then die cut. The same image is also on the back opening. I made two 4-layer flowers for the flag using the same paper and card stock used on the cover. I filled the mail box with stamped images (same PSX heart) and some chocolates.

May All Your Dreams Come True

2012-01-06T10:13:00.011-06:00

We all have dreams, wishes and hopes. When it's our birthday, and we get to blow out the candles, we make that ever-important wish. That was the inspirational thought behind this card.

I began with a 5" x 8-1/2" piece of wisteria card stock folded in half to make an A-2 card. I punched the top left and bottom right corner of the card with a large corner punch. I tied a pretty white ribbon around the center of the card with the knot at the right side of the card.

I love this floral branch image from Stampin' Up!. I bought a special little flower punch at Hobby Lobby so that I could decorate the branch with colored flowers. On white card stock (also corner punched), I stamped the branch in old olive then glued on the punched flowers. I added a tiny pearl to each flower center. I then stamped May all your Dreams come true (a Penny Black stamp) below the branch in the same color as the card. This is going to be a birthday card for my friend Barbara, and I hope all of her dreams do come true.

The Best Thing

2012-01-04T19:31:00.005-06:00

I signed up for a few swaps this month, so it was time to get busy making cards. I decided I wanted to make another cut-work card. I chose some black and white card stock that I thought would look good with the white butterflies. I'm also going to enter this card in the Flutterby Wednesday Challenge.

I started with an 11" x 7-1/4" white card folded in half. I adhered the decorative layer to the front, then cut out the opening with an X-acto knife. I glued on the butterflies across the opening at the wing tips. For the sentiment I used an Abraham Lincoln quote, which I stamped in black ink on white card stock. I die cut the quote with a round Nestabilities die, then cut a larger circle out of black to back the white circle. I added a gold brad to the top and bottom of the diecuts then adhered it to the card. Inside the card I put a light grey colored paper with the inside message on the right.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T07:32:00.006-06:00

It's the day before 2012 rolls in and I was inspired to make a New Year's card. I had seen a wedding card recently with some cut-work on the front, so I decided to give it a try. For this card I needed a cut-work butterfly punch shape, so used a Martha Stewart punch I found at Michael's.

Most of my card is computer-generated because I didn't have a Happy New Year stamp. I started with a 5" square card and printed the year and message on the front. On the left side I cut a shape that would accommodate the butterflies I wanted to add. Once the shape was cut out I added the butterflies. Inside I placed a decorative piece of paper that would show through and be a background for the punched shapes.

After Christmas Find

2011-12-28T22:39:00.013-06:00

I'm a big fan of the television shows Auction Hunters, Storage Wars and American Pickers. Like them, I enjoy finding treasures. I love thrift stores and once in a while a stamping treasure awaits for me to find.

While in town this morning, my husband and I decided to hit a few thrift stores. At the second store we went to, I found my treasure. This find was special because it is a stamp set I have been wanting for a while. My husband saw it first and handed it to me. I clutched it to my chest like it was a long lost friend. I couldn't believe it...a 1995 Hero Arts stamp set, brand new in the package, and one I've been wanting! What are the odds? The retail price sticker on it read $20.29. The thrift store price...$2.00. Needless to say, that rubber stamp set now has a new home.

Center Step Christmas Card

2011-12-24T06:06:00.017-06:00

Look at this great center step Christmas card I received from my friend Janine. I think I may just use this idea next Christmas. The bright red door is dimensional (four layered panels) and the wreath just tops it off. Not only a clever idea, but a wonderful card to display.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T14:50:00.015-06:00

I am so last-minute. It's 3 days before Christmas and I just mailed off the last of my Christmas cards. A few days earlier I was looking at cards on other stamper's websites and I came across the most elegant Christmas tree image on a card made by a lady named Lucy Abrams. I immediately fell in love with the flourished tree image so I had to have it. She mentioned it was a Hero Arts image, but then I read that it was one of their digital images. I didn't even know Hero Arts had digital images. I don't usually make cards using digital images, but this one I had to buy regardless. Within a few minutes of ordering it, it was downloaded onto my computer. Lucy used rhinestones and colored pearls to decorate her tree (you should take a look at it on her site). I used little white pearls to decorate mine. Click on the picture to see them better.

I started with a striped tan base card. I printed out my black tree on decorative tan card stock. I stamped 'Merry Christmas' (Stampin' Up) under the tree then cut it out. I then added a little darker color to the edges of the tree layer and the entire card with stamp ink and a paintbrush. After attaching the tree image to the card I added mini pearls for decoration.

Telescoping Christmas Card

2011-12-16T15:14:00.024-06:00

Time for another challenge and isn't this picture great? I love the black and white St. Nick with just a touch of teal on his coat. That's a great color combo, so I wanted to make a card for the current challenge over at The Play Date Cafe. These aren't your traditional Christmas colors, but I wanted to use them to make an ornament card.

I just recently came across a fun tutorial for a Telescoping card, so wanted to give it a try. I found some great decorative paper with the colors black, white and teal in it, so used it to die cut three lacey circles in graduated sizes. I added black die cut circles on top of the lacey ones, then die cut three white circles on which I stamped images.

To attach the circles, you add brads so that you can fold the card for mailing or open it up to hang. Once I had my circles attached, I added a removable white bow at the bottom and a gold elastic hanger at the top. That way, I can remove both if I want to fold up the card to mail. To see the tutorial, click on the link here - Telescoping Card.

Let it Snow

2011-12-11T04:29:00.013-06:00

I really wish it would snow. It's rare here in south Texas, but occasionally we do see a few snowflakes during the winter. This week's challenge at The Friday Mashup, is to make a snowman card. I decided to do something a little different for this challenge and I just love the way my card turned out.

I decided to combine two challenges again, so chose the color challenge at The Paper Players. Their challenge is to use the colors Cherry Cobbler, Gold and Very Vanilla. I used Cheery Cobbler for the base card color and the ink color for the stamped sentiment, Very Vanilla for the stamped layer and gold brads for the gold color. The only other color I used is a little light blue.

I started with a 6" square base card. On a 5-1/2" square white card I stamped snowmen in a circle (using a light box and a circle template) then colored them with markers and watercolor. I stamped a Verve sentiment in the center then attached the layer to the card. Lastly I added gold brads at each corner.

Shaker Box Christmas

2011-12-03T10:07:00.016-06:00

Time for another challenge. This week over at The Friday Mashup, the challenge is to make a winter card, a shaker box card or a card combining the two. I decided to make a card with a shaker heart on it. I recently purchased the heart punch and clear plastic hearts from Stampin' Up!

Pals Paper Arts is having a color challenge this week, so decided to use their colors on my shaker card. The colors this week are cherry cobbler, always artichoke and very vanilla. I didn't have the exact colors, but matched as close as I could.

I started with a green base card. At the top and bottom corners I stamped a little flourish in the cherry cobbler color. On very vanilla card stock I stamped Season's Greetings (Stampin' Up!) and the heart made for the punch. I punched out the heart and then added the bead-filled heart cup. I glued this layer onto some cherry cobbler card stock and added gold brads at each corner. I then added this layer to the base card.

Goodwill Hunting

2011-11-26T09:29:00.008-06:00

If you know me at all, you know I love going to garage sales and thrift stores. One of my favorite thrift stores is Goodwill. I've found a few stamps and stamping items over the years, but last Saturday I found a super bargain! We had went to garage sales early and only found a couple of things for the granddaughters. We were a bit disappointed so we decided to hit a couple of Goodwill stores on the way home.

At the first Goodwill store I found several handmade SU cards for sale that were probably left over from a craft fair. I bought them all at 49-cents each. The next Goodwill store had a basket of dimensional stickers for 25-cents a pack, so I bought a few of those. As I was walking around I looked up and found myself saying (out loud), "You have got to be kidding!" There, perched up on a shelf, was a Cuttlebug box. Okay, I thought, surely there isn't a Cuttlebug in the box. It was all taped up so I couldn't look inside. Upon lifting it I realized that maybe there was a Cuttlebug machine in the box because it was heavy. I quickly carried the box over to where my husband was and asked him to cut the tape with his knife so I could see what was inside. When he opened the lid he says, "There's a lot of stuff in here." I made him hold the box so I could see what 'stuff' he was talking about.

My pulse began to race as I saw a complete Cuttlebug machine with all the cutting plates, 6 embossing folders (still in package) and 5 die sets (in sealed packages). All of it was stuffed into this one box! It all looked new. Then I noticed the price of $19.99 and looked at him and said "I HAVE to buy this!" He just laughed and we headed to the checkout. This is what makes Goodwill hunting worth it.

Chocolate Bliss

2011-11-20T12:14:00.014-06:00

Today I'm making bag toppers for a little chocolate treat for a few friends. These reindeer are easy to make with a Sizzix Top Note die cut, a few small circles, and antlers made from a Quickutz flourish die. Inside the bag I put a pack of Nestles Hot Cocoa, a chocolate mint stirring stick and a chocolate/peppermint Andes candy.

I've seen so many ideas on the Web for using the SU Sizzix Top Note die. When I first bought it I wasn't sure what I was going to use it for. It's a nice shape for card layers, but there are so many more things you can do with the die cuts. Remember the Penguin bag topper I made last year? If not, click here to go to the post Penguin Bag Topper.

Rudolph Holiday Card

2011-11-16T11:01:00.011-06:00

I'm at it again...making things out of money. During the holidays I like to make little Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (out of a $5 bill) to give to that waiter or waitress that really deserves a good tip.

I decided I wanted to make a holiday card with Rudolph, so came up with the card below. I started with a red base card (tent style) and added a scallop-punched layer to the front. I stamped Happy Holidays, a Stampin' Up! image, at the bottom. I then made a frame for my reindeer, and attached it to the center with a pop dot. I love making these little reindeer.

Changes

2011-11-02T09:17:00.006-05:00

This morning I thought I'd make a card using some translucent vellum. I don't normally use vellum so I was wondering how it would take the ink. I used Stampin' Up! real red ink and it worked beautifully and dried fast.

The card was made by attaching a printed layer onto a 5" x 7" white base card, adding a punched border piece at the bottom then adding the vellum overlay. To make sure the vellum stayed on, I attached a brad at each corner. This little card is heading to Australia. Sure hope it makes it.

Letters Mingle Souls

2011-10-26T11:46:00.006-05:00

I recently purchased some wonderful card stock from a paper company. It has a smooth surface and it takes rubber stamp ink really well. Today I thought I'd try out some of my solid image stamps and brush markers and I was thrilled with the results. I thought I could only use my solid images on glossy card stock, but this works just as well. This is the card I made with my Rubber Stampede Gerbera Daisy stamp, colored with Marvy Brush Markers. The sentiment is a PSX image.

Layered Snowman

2011-10-26T02:58:00.009-05:00

Have you ever made a card to give away and then decide you like it so much you want to keep it? This is one of those cards. I was stamping images of my Penny Black snowman for a swap and decided to make a multi-layered square card with the snowman at the center.

I began with a 5.5" square base card. I stamped the snowman on a 2.5" square then stamped a second one and cut out just the snowman. I stamped additional snowman images on brown, red and decorative paper. I cut out just the scarf from the red, the stick arms from the brown and the earmuffs from the decorative paper. I glued the scarf, arms and earmuffs on the cut out snowman. This was layered (with pop dots) on top of the snowman I stamped on the 2.5" square white card stock. This layered piece was to be the center of the card.

I cut and layered five alternating red and white layers to back the snowman. I attached some decorative paper to the base card then attached the multi-layered snowman to the card. The last step was to stamp the snow part of the image on white card stock, cut it out, emboss and attach at the bottom.

It's Cold and Flu Season

2011-10-24T16:50:00.006-05:00

When the seasons change, people get sick. Why is that? Oh well, no matter what the reason, people are sniffling and coughing and it's time to make some of my little 'Feel Better' kits.

I began by stamping Nurse Anya (The Greeting Farm) on white card stock. I then paper pieced her by stamping more images onto printed and solid colors (for dress, face, orange, orange juice and hair). I then made a back and front insert (out of solid and decorative blue card stock) for a regular size CD jewel case.

On the front insert I added a piece of ribbon, three gold brads and a die cut stamped oval that reads, 'Get Well Soon'. I attached Anya to the right side of the front insert. Inside the CD case I put 3 things...a single dose packet of Advil, a single dose packet of a cold medication and a gift card to a local pharmacy. FYI: I find those single dose packets of medications at my local convenience store.

Just Black and White

2011-10-06T08:50:00.007-05:00

I received the prettiest card the other day from my secret sister. It was a lovely flower grouping stamped in black on white card stock. It had one piece of decorative black and white paper behind the flowers and one little black and white brad off to the side. It was so pretty that I had to make a few of my own.

I started with some decorative black and white paper (backed with a piece of solid black) and adhered a stamped image of two roses onto the paper. I glued this piece onto an A-2 white base card. Next I punched a black circle and added a large black brad at the center. I adhered it to the card at the right of the roses. Lastly I simply stamped 'For You' above the brad and the card was finished. Although I do like cards that have some color to them, a simple black and white card has a beauty all it's own. I think I'll make a few more.

For Every Tear

2011-10-02T03:35:00.009-05:00

My neighbor recently requested a card for a friend who is seriously ill. She brought me a picture of a card she had seen in Papercrafts magazine, and wanted a similar card with the sentiment, 'For every tear that falls, there is a prayer in my heart for you' as the main focus. Below is the card I made.

I computer-generated the sentiment and cut it out using a Nestabilities die. I sponged the edge of the die cut with a light tan chalk then adhered it to a brown and beige floral background. I added a ribbon around the layer before adhering it to the base card. A beige (bridal) flower was attached to the left side and a leaf die cut with bow was attached to the right.

Autumn is Tea Time

2011-09-23T10:27:00.008-05:00

I love the autumn season! We have a deck at the back of our home where I love to sit and drink a nice cup of tea. Today I wanted to make an altered CD case for a friend who also loves her tea and I wanted to do it in an autumn theme.

I stated with some of the designer paper from the Ella Blue pad (Hobby Lobby), and made the back and front inserts. At the bottom of the front insert I attached the Happy Autumn sentiment (computer-generated) on a white strip backed with brown. The front insert was then slipped into the front of the CD case.

I had an embossed fall tree image that I received in a swap (thanks Melisa), so I wanted that for the main image. I die cut the tree (using a square die turned at an angle), then also cut a larger square to back the tree. I attached the image to the outside front of the CD case using pop dots. Inside I placed 4 packets of yummy cinnamon tea.

Butterfly Card

2011-08-29T11:02:00.005-05:00

My goodness, this month has flown by. I don't think it's ever been as hot as it has been this summer! The weatherman says it has, but I don't remember any temps near 107! Today I thought I'd get up super early (while it's cool) and make a card.

Today I wanted to make a card in reds and black. I started by stamping an SU butterfly in red on a 4-1/2" square white card, masking it and then stamping a couple of black flourishes at each side. I stamped 'Just for You' below the butterfly. I rounded two of the corners and then layered it onto red and black. I added a couple of gold brads and then added the layers to a white card.

I stamped two additional butterflies, cut them out and layered them on top of the first one, gluing the top one just at the body so the wings could be lifted.

Fairy Dreams

2011-07-27T08:09:00.016-05:00

This morning I was organizing my unmounted stamp images and came across a few I had forgotten about. One of the images was a pretty fairy in an oval frame. I decided this was the image I would use to make a card for the current Flutterby Wednesday Challenge. This week we are to use stripes on a card with an image of either a butterfly, fairy or angel.

I decided to go with some more of the designer card stock from my Ella Blue pad. I started with a 5-3/4" x 4-1/2" light blue tent card. I used some brown, white and striped designer card stock for the layers, scallop punching the edge of the white and striped piece.

I stamped the fairy in brown on a patterned blue card stock and cut it out, cutting along the oval frame. I stamped two additional images and cut out just the fairy from one and just the wings from the other. These were added to the first stamped image with pop dots for a raised, dimensional effect.

I cut two 2-1/4" squares (one brown and the other blue) and attached them to the top of the card. I then glued the fairy to the blue square. Below the fairy image I added an oval die cut piece on which I stamped the word 'dream'.

A Sympathy Card

2011-07-26T12:15:00.015-05:00

Today I wanted to make a sympathy card for a friend who lost his precious mom last week. It's so hard to lose a parent and I wanted to make a special card to let him and his wife know that we are thinking of them.

Sometimes images inspire me to make a card, sometimes it's beautiful cards made by others, and once it a while it's the designer paper that inspires the card. For this card I wanted something in soothing colors that was pretty but would not overwhelm the sentiment.

I have come to love the color combination of brown and light blue. On a recent trip to Hobby Lobby I found this beautiful designer paper pad from GCD Studios. It's called Ella Blue and the papers have a wonderful linen texture in twelve designs.

For this card I was inspired by one of the designs in the Ella Blue collection. I started with a very pale pink for the base card. I added a light blue card stock with the designer paper for the layers. The sympathy image used is from Stampabilities, which was die cut with a Spellbinders die.

Thinking of You

2011-05-13T11:41:00.018-05:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted a card. So much has been going on...family visiting, computer crashing, and I owe so many people cards. So today I took out my stamps, card stock and Spellbinders dies and got to work. I also wanted to make a card for a current challenge, so this one is for Splitcoaststampers 'Say What!' challenge.

I started by cutting some doily die cuts out of some rose card stock. On a white circle die cut, I stamped an SU flower branch in green and added mini flowers (punched) with center pearls. I then stamped 'Thinking of You' (Stampabilities) in a rose color ink below the branch. I layered the white circle onto the doily die cut and added it to a dark blue card that I layered with a decorative paper.

Flutter By Pink Butterfly

2011-04-08T14:04:00.018-05:00

Today I was thinking Easter, pastels, and butterflies, so made the card below for the current Flutterby Wednesday Challenge.

I started with a pastel striped pocket card with a pink and white insert card. I die cut a dimensional butterfly (QuicKutz) and attached it to the front of the pocket. On the insert card I stamped Happy Easter (My Sentiments Exactly) in pink and added a mini flower at each side. I computer-generated an Easter greeting which I placed at the bottom of the card insert. Lastly I added small pearls along the scalloped edge and tied a yellow ribbon at the top.

Here is a close-up of the 2-piece dimensional butterfly die cut. The back layer is solid, while the top layer is a more delicate cut, so that the wings can be lifted slightly.

Garden Birthday Card

2011-03-31T15:17:00.017-05:00

I was recently asked to make a birthday card for a lady who enjoys working in her garden. I decided to make a card using this wonderful printed card stock I found at Michaels.

I started with a blue base card (5" x 7"). The decorative card stock is from a K&Company mat pad. I punched a lace trim and attached it and ribbon to the left side of the card. I cut a second piece (of the same decorative card stock) and stamped a cherry blossom branch on the left side. I attached the stamped piece to the card, lining up the images. I added pearls to the blossoms and an oval birthday greeting to complete the card.

Stamper of the Month

2011-03-21T11:18:00.024-05:00

This month my name was drawn as Stamper of the Month (random drawing) at Midweststampers.com. Last week I received my prize box of goodies. It was filled with ribbon, paper, embellishments, mounted stamps, unmounted stamps and more. In the various unmounted images there was a black rubber image of what looked like a Japanese block print design. It was from a company called Onyx Xpressions, which I later found out is a mail order stamp company in Houston. I love their images.

The image inspired me to make a card (actually, I made four), and love how it stamps. I started with a red 5" x 5" base card. I added some decorative black and white floral paper to the top of the card and a thin black strip below the paper. I stamped the bird image in black on glossy white card stock then backed it with the same red I used for the card. I placed it to the left side then stamped 'for you' (SU) to the right. I love this card!

Stamping 411 Square Card Challenge

2011-03-08T21:29:00.041-06:00

I love making square cards and I really like this layout for the current Stamping 411 Sketch Challange. I just purchased a new (solid image) Gerbera Daisy rubber stamp (Rubber Stampede) so wanted to use it to make a card for a baby shower in the colors pink and blue.

I started with a 6" x 6" blue base card. I added some pink decorative paper and a bottom layer of printed cardstock (baby-themed). I added a blue polka dot ribbon across the center then added a smaller blue and pink square to the center of the card.

The Gerbera Daisy is a solid image stamp, so I colored it with Marvy markers and stamped it onto glossy card stock. I then die cut it with a circle die and attached it to the center of the smaller square. I added three gold brads to the top left side of the card and a larger brad to the ribbon.

An Inspiration Card by Kay Kalthoff

2011-03-07T09:01:00.008-06:00

I've received many cards over the years, and some I keep displayed to give me inspiration. This is one of those cards. It's a birthday card I received from Kay Kalthoff several years ago. I love the creative way she used pop dots to layer the leaves and flowers and then added the ladybugs along the swirled flourish. I think it was one of the first dimensional cards I ever received and I still love the design and layout of it. I came across her blog the other day so wanted to share it with you. Check out her blog by clicking here...Stamping to Share.

Remembering Philomena

2011-02-27T12:11:00.010-06:00

Each day when I walk into my craft room I'm reminded of Philomena Demeter. She was one of my stamping friends that I loved exchanging cards with. She was so talented and each card I received was well made and thoughtful. I called her the Pergamano Queen because she did such intricate and detailed embossing on parchment paper.

This is one of the cards she made me and I keep it displayed on my stamp shelves. Sadly, Philomena passed away in September of 2006, but she is never out of my mind. Her card makes me smile each time I see it and everyone who comes into my craft room comments on it's beauty. She was a special lady and I am glad she shared her talent with me.

Lotus Pendant Gift Card Holder

2011-01-30T22:19:00.017-06:00

One of my favorite ways to present a gift card is in a decorated CD jewel case. You can decorate it like a card, include a greeting inside (plus the gift card) and you have a nice presentation. After seeing the current challenge over at Just Us Girls, I decided I wanted a dimensional flower to be the main embellishment on the case. To help the flower pop I used a Spellbinders Shapeabilities Lotus Pendant die cut behind the flower.

I started by making the front insert card in white, red and black layers. I placed the red pendant at the center and glued on a piece of black and white ribbon at the bottom. I added gold brads at each corner and slid it in the case. On the outside of the case I added a bow (same ribbon as on the inside), and attached the handmade (punched) flower to the center, giving it the dimensional look I wanted.

After making a red back cover I attached a small handmade envelope to hold the gift card and added a birthday greeting on a small white card.

A 60th Wedding Anniversary

2011-01-28T02:09:00.009-06:00

My neighbor recently asked me to make an anniversary card for a couple at her church. The card above is what I came up with. I started with a piece of glossy white card stock and a 5" x 7" white base card. On the glossy card stock I computer-generated the message. I place '60th' at the center so I could put a heart around it. The heart is a T.S.C. Designs brass stencil that I embossed and sponge colored with cranberry ink. After the heart was done, I Cuttlebug embossed each side and added gold brads. I backed this piece with a burgundy card layer and attached it to the base card.

Dream, Create, Inspire

2011-01-09T03:07:00.014-06:00

I love the card sketch this week over at Stamping 411. I love the colors, the image and the layout so much that I decided to make a card that was very close to the sketch.

I started by stamping two trees (Stampin' Up! Thoughts and Prayers) in blue on white card stock. I stamped three sentiments around the trees then added a piece of blue decorative striped paper to the bottom. I backed this piece with a blue card stock. I added three gold brads at the bottom for balance. After adding a green ribbon around the layers I adhered it to a green ((SU Wild Wasabi) 5-1/2" x 6-1/4" base card.

Young at Heart

2011-01-02T10:54:00.012-06:00

A new year...and lots of birthday cards to make. Today I thought I'd try a new layout and use my newest butterfly image from Hero Arts. The butterfly was stamped using burgundy ink then die cut with a Nestabilities circle. I backed the butterfly with a burgundy scalloped circle. I love the Charles Dickens quote at the bottom, To the young at heart, everything is fun.

Happy New Year

2010-12-30T06:45:00.011-06:00

I came across the cutest card the other day. It was on Dawn Griffith's blog, Dawn's Stamping Thoughts. She had made a card using a piece of acrylic for a window where the sentiment shows through. She even has a video, so click HERE if you'd like to see how it's made.

This is the card I made for my New Year's greeting. I began by printing the sentiment and message inside the card. I cut and assembled the acrylic piece to the front of the card. I then added a strip of red decorative card stock to the top and stamped my little Snowman with the word 'create' at the bottom. I finished it off with a white ribbon at the bottom of the window. Isn't it cute?

Reindeer Christmas Card

2010-12-11T04:27:00.014-06:00

This year I'm decorating my Christmas tree with reindeer, so I thought I'd make my Christmas cards with the same theme. I love this little reindeer image from A Muse Artstamps.

I recently came across a great deal on glossy white card stock, so used it to make A-2 tent cards. I stamped 'Merry Christmas' (Stampin' Up!) in red at the bottom of the card and Cuttlebug-embossed the top with my snowflakes folder. I stamped my reindeer in brown then sponge stamped his body with a light beige color (using a cut-out stencil). I added a little red nose (for my granddaughter who adores Rudolph), and die cut the reindeer with my Nestablilites circle die. I backed it with a die cut red scallop circle and attached it to the top of the card. To finish the card I added a gold elastic string between the embossing and the greeting.

Blue Tulip Card

2010-11-16T03:20:00.017-06:00

Here is one more tulip card using the same layout as in the previous post. I flipped the layout to make this card. I've never seen a blue tulip...but I assume there is such a thing. If not, there should be. I just love tulips.

Thinking of You

2010-11-15T02:26:00.024-06:00

I really like the card sketches at Stamping 411. Here is this week's clean and simple sketch and the card I made.

I started with a 6-1/4" x 5" white base card. I stamped the bottom of a white layer with one of my SU stamping wheels. I Cuttlebug-embossed the top of the layer with my Swiss Dots folder. I backed this layer with light purple card stock. For the image I used my All Night Media (Posh Impressions) tulip and stamped it in green and purple. The sentiment (SU) was stamped in purple and die cut using my oval Nestabilities. Before adding the image and sentiment, I glued on a strip of purple card stock separating the border image and the embossing.

A Masculine Card

2010-11-10T16:44:00.018-06:00

When I purchased a McGill moose punch many years ago I wondered what I would use it for. It's sat on a shelf for a long time and today I was glad I had bought it. I needed to make a birthday card for a man, and I didn't know what I was going to do. I don't have many images that would work on a masculine card. I did have this great wooded scene stamp from Embossing Arts, so thought I'd use that. Then I thought of the moose punch, so punched a few in brown and it was a perfect size to add to the wooded scene.

I started with a 6" x 5-1/2" base card. I sponge stamped the edge of a white top note die cut with a beige color ink. I stamped the trees in brown then using pop dots added the moose as if he was walking through the trees. I backed the die cut with a brown decorative card stock that I border punched (at the bottom) with a Martha Stewart punch. I then backed that piece with beige and brown card stock. I added some gold elastic cord to the bottom and made a little tag that I attached to the cord. I then attached it to the base card.

A Chocolate Penguin

2010-11-09T00:58:00.016-06:00

Yesterday was my craft hour with the seniors at Oakmont Nursing and Rehab Center. Since the holidays are near, I decided on a gift project that they could give away to a visitor or friend. I came across the cutest Penguin bag topper on Kim Bolzanthal's blog and it was perfect. To see more of her adorable bag toppers, click on her name above.

Isn't this just the cutest thing? I started by making bags containing a packet of hot cocoa and a candy cane (stiring stick). I die cut the heads using the SU Top Note die. I sponge stamped the edge with black ink then folded the die cut in half. The ladies added a little beak and two punched eyes to the front then on the back side (at the bottom) attached two arms (black card stock die cut with oval Nestabilities). We then attached the Penguin topper to the top of the bags. I went around the room asking each lady if they wanted their penguin to be a boy or a girl. If they chose a girl, they added a little pink ribbon bow to the head. Everyone wanted a girl penguin...I knew when they saw how cute it was with a bow, they would want a girl. :)

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2010-11-09T00:50:00.010-06:00

I love cold weather. Saturday morning we woke up to frost on the grass and ice on the windows. That put me in a winter mood and I started thinking about making winter cards. I recently purchased a cute little snowman from Michaels (in their dollar bin) so made the card below. I also love layers...so this card has 7 alternating layers.

Today I came across a new (to me) challenge blog called The Paper Players. The challenge this week is to make a snowman card, so this will be my first entry.

Birthday Side Step Card

2010-11-02T13:23:00.010-05:00

I wanted to make a photo card for my mom's birthday this month. I decided to make a side-step card using a photo of her great grandchildren. I snapped the photo while they were in my stamp studio (notice all the colorful paper behind them) last week.

I started by computer-generating the words 'Happy Birthday Grandmother' on white card stock. I stamped a balloons image (Stampabilities) in black then paper-pieced each balloon with decorative paper. I also computer-generated the wording 'Enjoy Your Day' and die cut it with my oval Nestabilities die. I cut a small strip of decorative paper for the first step and added gold brads. The photo was attached to the back step.

I want to thank Julie Davison for posting this tutorial. If you'd like to see the tutorial for making the side-step card, click here.

A Purple Flutterby

2010-10-21T08:13:00.015-05:00

Purple and teal...what an interesting color combination. Today I wanted to make a card with purple in it. I also wanted to make another butterfly card for the current Flutterby Wednesday challenge.

I started with a sheet of textured purple card stock. As I was thumbing through my paper, I came across a sheet of scrapbook paper with purple and teal flowers on it. I just happen to have a peony purple stamp pad and it matched the papers perfectly, so it all came together. I stamped a stipple butterfly (Stampin' Up!) on white and backed it with a teal card stock. I placed the solid color card stock at the top and the floral paper at the bottom with a white ribbon at the center. Gold brads at each corner finished off the look I wanted. It's bright, that's for sure. Finished size of card is 5-1/2" x 5-1/2".

Just Because...An RAK

2010-10-18T19:55:00.014-05:00

This week for the Just Add Ink challenge we are to make a card and just add blue . We were also encouraged to send the card to someone as an RAK. I'm a big supporter of Random Acts of Kindness and of course love the color blue, so wanted to participate.

I came across a card recently with daisies and a butterfly and loved the look and the layout, so decided I wanted to do one in blue.

I started with a 5" x 7" navy blue base card. I stamped two blue daisies (Rubber Stampede) on white and added a computer-generated sentiment. I punched a butterfly (Paper Studio) and stamped it with a blue flourish. I added pearls to the butterfly's body then backed the white layer with blue and navy card stock. I added a blue ribbon to the left and three white brads at the bottom for balance.

Flourished Hummingbird

2010-09-28T01:37:00.015-05:00

I love hummingbirds, so when I saw this flourished image from Inkadinkado I had to buy it. My friend Elaine and I share a love of hummingbirds, so this card will go to her. We both put out feeders during the summer and this year she had around 50 birds a day visit her feeders during their migration. I only had about 20 a day, but it was enjoyable sitting outside and watching them.

I liked this card so much that I made one in blue (to keep). I'll display it on my stamp shelves with some of my other favorite cards.

Frog and Dragonflies

2010-09-27T13:53:00.014-05:00

I recently purchased a set of cute Frog stamps from Close to My Heart. Today I thought I'd make a CD case using one of the images.

I stamped the frog on white and die cut the image (Nestabilities circles). I backed it with a solid green circle and a decorative paper circle. I glued the layered image to a piece of square ivory card stock and added a punched dragonfly to each corner. I placed the square into the front of a CD case. For the inside-back of the CD case I used the same ivory and added five green brads to the left edge that would show through. Now to decide what goodies I want to put inside the case.

Just Add Ink Challenge #36

2010-09-23T19:03:00.013-05:00

When I saw this sketch for the current Just Add Ink challenge I decided I wanted to make my card with the colors red, white and black.

I began by stamping Delight in Life (an SU image) on white. I embossed the right part of the card with a Cuttlebug folder then added decorative paper to the left. After adding a red ribbon I attached it to a red card. I punched 2 small butterflies (Martha Stewart punch), attached them above the sentiment and added small pearls for the body. A simple card, but I love it!

Feel Better Kit

2010-09-15T14:47:00.021-05:00

It's that time of the year again...when the seasons change and colds start going around. I'm getting prepared by making little Feel Better Kits for some of my friends and family. Of course I had to use my Nurse Anya image from The Greeting Farm.

As with the other altered CD cases I cut a front and back insert piece from decorative card stock. On the front piece (which will slide inside the front of the CD case) I added a piece of ribbon, three red brads and a little 'Feel Better Soon' message. Then on the outside of the front I placed Nurse Anya (using pop dots to give her more dimension).

What did I put into the Feel Better Kit? I put a single cold tablet packet, a teabag, and a gift card to a local pharmacy.

Punched Paper Flowers

2010-08-12T11:38:00.023-05:00

I like using handcrafted flowers on some of my cards. I've tried the Prima flowers but have decided I like punched and layered flowers better. I recently purchased a few and today I used one to a make a card.

I love this layout and the sentiment. I started with some card stock (with sheen) for the base tent card. I computer generated the sentiment then added the flower at the corner. I then added a little ribbon and bow at the bottom for balance. The border punch used for the light pink layer is a Martha Stewart punch.

JUGS Color Challenge #42

2010-07-19T18:51:00.016-05:00

The current challenge over at Just Us Girls is to make a card using the colors orange, navy, green and cream. I haven't stamped much lately, so I thought I'd participate and make a card with one of my newest unmounted images.

I started with a 5-1/2" square green base card. I scallop punched (Martha Stewart border punch) the front bottom edge. I then added an orange scallop punched strip above the previously punched edge. To bring out the green punched edge more, I placed a piece of navy card stock across the inside bottom of the card.

I stamped Flutter Anya (a cute fairy image from The Greeting Farm) on a piece of cream colored card stock. I paper-pieced her outfit, wings and hair using colored cardstock. I attached two light blue mini bows to the top of her hair then backed the image with a navy blue layer. I attached the image to the right of the card and then added three blue flower brads on the left side.

Cherry Blossoms

2010-03-19T12:54:00.028-05:00

Cherry Blossoms are such pretty spring flowers. The Cherry Blossom Festival will be held in Washington D.C. on March 27th - April 11th. I wish I could be there for all the festivities and to see all the pretty flowers.

Today I thought I'd make a card using my favorite cherry blossom image from Rubber Stampede. I started with an 6" square white tent card. I backed the image with a hot pink layer then a lighter pink. I added a white layer at the bottom with the words Cherry Blossoms at the right bottom corner. I then added three silver brads above the wording. The final layer is a pink and burgundy striped card stock.

How I Photograph My Cards

2010-03-15T10:21:00.018-05:00

I finally found a way to photograph my cards that I am happy with. The only real expense is an Ott Lite...but it is well worth the price. With an Ott Lite you don't need to use your flash and the card details come out so nice. My Ott Lite is a clip-on desk light, but a free standing one works just as well. My digital camera is a Kodak 10.3 Mega pixel and it cost less than $90, so you don't have to have an expensive digital camera to get a good photograph.

You probably have the supplies for making the backdrop in your card stock supply. Here's how to make it.

Take 3 sheets of heavyweight white card stock (8-1/2" x 11") and lay them out as shown. Arrange the sheets with one 8-1/2" x 11" sheet on each side then turn your third piece (with the 11" side at the bottom) for the center...lining up at the top. Tape the three pieces together using clear tape. Score and fold the bottom of the two outer sheets (lining up your folds with the bottom of the 11" x 8-1/2" center piece). Fold in the side pieces and arrange in a box shape as shown below. For the bottom (floor) of your light studio, place a few pieces of card stock on the folded pieces to hold the box shape and your backdrop is done.

Next, add your light source (I highly recommend an Ott Lite) above and to the front to illuminate your card. Move it as necessary to lessen the shadows. If you don't have a light source, use your flash. Put the card in the light studio and take your photo (with or without flash).

A tripod isn't really necessary, but my husband thought I needed one, so I use it occasionally. All of my recent card photos (on my blog) were taken this way...without flash.

Thinking of You

2010-03-15T06:28:00.010-05:00

Okay, one last card using the digital image from Fred, She Said Designs. Along with the pansies in a teacup image in this set, there is an image of four pansies that I wanted to use on a 5" x 7" card. On this image, I added a two extra pansies with pop dots to give a raised effect. I then punched the front edge of the card with a Martha Stewart border punch and stamped Thinking of You (Stampin' Up!) in blue below the pansies.

Punch Around the Page

2010-03-14T12:49:00.011-05:00

I am a definate fan of the new Punch Around the Page Martha Stewart punch sets. With my Michael's coupon in hand I decided I'd try one, so bought the Double Loops set. I absolutely love it!

For the card above, I started with a 5" piece of white card stock and punched the design all the way around. I placed the (Fred, She Said Designs) digital Teacup Pansies image at the center and attached it to a blue card. I then added an extra dimensional flower to the bottom right edge and my card was done. I am going to purchase more of the Punch Around the Page Martha Stewart punches.

Teacup Pansies

2010-03-13T12:14:00.017-06:00

I just love this digital design from Fred, She Said Designs. She does such wonderful drawings and this one I had to have. The current challenge on her challenge blog is to make a card using a digital design with hearts. Immediately I thought of making a heart frame for the teacup of pansies using a punch method I've used before. I love the way it came out and it is a perfect card for Spring.

The digital design was printed on white card stock. The blue frame was punched from a 4" circle using a heart shaped corner slot punch from EK Success. To see a video tutorial for the punched frame, click HERE. I added the frame to the image using pop dots to give it a raised effect. I backed the framed image with a light blue and dark blue card stock and added brads to the corners. Finished size of card is 5-1/2" x 5-1/2".

Baby Onesie Gift Card Holder

2010-02-25T08:38:00.013-06:00

It has been a long time since I've made a baby card. This month, two of my good friends were blessed with grandbabies. I wanted to send gift cards so made the onesie above to hold the card. I started with pink card stock, added scalloped trim out of swiss dot-embossed white card stock, personalized the bib, added a bow and made a pocket on the inside for the gift card. I found this adorable Winnie the Pooh quote that I also put on the inside.

Sometimes, it's the smallish things
that take up the most room in our heart.

-Winnie the Pooh.

Present Card

2010-02-22T11:04:00.028-06:00

I just love making these little present cards. The card consists of a simple hexagon shape with three fold-down pieces. Just add the 'ribbon' (small strips of paper) and a small bow and you have a present card. When it is opened, it reveals the message inside. The finished size of the folded card is 3.5 inches.

Here are three I made for birthdays. The bows are stickers from Jolee...and they were the perfect size for the box! These cards are also great for gift tags (baby showers, graduations, Mother's Day, etc).

Foxy Valentine

2010-02-16T17:33:00.013-06:00

I came across the cutest treat box for Valentine's Day and just had to make one. Isn't he just the cutest thing? It's a pattern from The Paper Source for a little fox...so simple to make. If you would like the instructions, click HERE.

There is another adaption of the Fox treat box (from Kimberley Morris) using a Top Note die cut for the head. She even includes box instructions. You can find Kimberley's instructions HERE. Have Fun.

Rose Teapot Card

2010-02-05T07:30:00.019-06:00

I recently had a request for a get well card for a lady who collects teapots. As much as I tried, I could not get my favorite teapot stamp to stamp well. It was just worn out and nothing I could do would make the image clear...so frustrating! Then I remembered I had a teapot stencil in my collection, so decided I'd make a stenciled card. I embossed the teapot and brushed on a light blue color along the edges. I used my favorite rose stencil for a filler on the teapot. All the colors on the rose were applied using stamp pad ink and a cosmetic sponge. I think it came out nice.

You've got 'Male'

2010-01-28T06:08:00.018-06:00

My neighbor and friend, Fran, is turning 65 tomorrow. She is an avid collector...lighthouses, Elvis items, Coca Cola items and Nascar. She has a room for each collectible and her house is so neat and organized that it's a joy to visit her. For her birthday I wanted to make her something featuring her favorite Nascar driver, Jeff Gordon. I know he is a favorite because she even has a race car tire autographed by him in one of the rooms!

I had these little metal mailboxes from Target so decided to make her a Jeff Gordon mailbox. I downloaded several photos and made a cover for the mailbox, added two of his best photos to the front and back, then filled it with Jeff Gordon candy bars (mini Kit Kats covered with a wrapper I made). On the bottom I added a tag that reads...'Happy Birthday Fran! You've got 'Male'. I think it came out wonderful! I can't wait to give it to her.

Mardi Gras Card

2010-01-25T10:47:00.016-06:00

There's a new challenge blog in town. I've always liked Fred She Said Designs, so wanted to participate in their first blog challenge. The challenge was to use the header and background on the challenge blog as inspiration. My mind is in a Mardi Gras mode, so the first thing I thought was that the colors looked like the Mardi Gras colors.

I decided on Fred's digital image (freebie) called Doodle Tiles from 2007. On a MS Word document I uploaded the tile six times. I made the first one 2-1/2" and decreased each of the others by 1/8th of an inch. I cut them out and layered them (making one square and the next diagonal) using pop dots to make a 3-D medallion. I added little holographic brads (stickers) to the top image give it a little sparkle.

For the background I stamped a piece of white card stock with the SU Baroque flourish in green. I computer generated the words Mardi Gras below the medallion. I backed this piece with some gold paper and added it to a purple card. Below is a close up of the layered medallion.

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez"

Chocolate Inspiration

2010-01-14T15:40:00.022-06:00

Look at the challenge inspiration from Pals Paper Arts. What a pretty piece of chocolate. Of course Valentine's Day was my first thought...then getting in my car and going out to find some chocolate quickly came second. I decided I'd make the card first, then go get the chocolate.

I used all the colors in the candy photo and crimped the white strip to look like the paper the candy is in. I backed the white strip with a piece of brown card stock and a red strip that I border punched with hearts (Martha Stewart) at the top and bottom. I used a favorite Valentine rubber stamp from Stubby Stampers and stamped it in dark red on white. I die cut the image using my oval Nestabilities and backed it with brown. The last step was to round the card edges and add some tiny hearts around the Valentine image.

Birthday Card Challenge

2010-01-12T07:59:00.027-06:00

Here is the challenge sketch for this weeks Mojo Monday Challenge. It's a cute and unique layout, so I thought I'd make a birthday card (which is this weeks challenge over at Crazy 4 Challenges).

I decided I wanted to use the colors red, white and black. I had this pretty floral-embossed card stock so used that
for the background. The Tulip Heart image is from PSX (an oldie, but a goodie). The birthday greeting is computer-generated and cut out using my oval Nestabilities.

Happy New Year

2009-12-28T21:49:00.015-06:00

I don't always make New Year cards, but decided to make a few today. The rose image is a favorite image from Mostly Animals. I used decorative snowflake paper for the small strips at the top. The 2010 New Year greeting is computer-generated.

Note on the photograph...I finally purchased an Ott Lite and used it as my light source to take the photograph (no flash) above. I've always been critical of my photos, but really like how this one came out.

Basket of Apples

2009-11-23T12:15:00.032-06:00

Just Us Girls is having a color challenge this week, so I wanted to participate. I didn't have the exact colors, so used what I had to make the A-2 tent card below. The Basket of Apples image is a retired PSX image.

Nurse Anya

2009-10-12T11:21:00.028-05:00

I just love this Nurse Anya image from The Greeting Farm. It was the perfect image to use for making a thank you card for the school nurse at my granddaughter's school. I decided for the nurse I would do most of her using paper piecing. This is a good way to add color and decorative elements without having to do much coloring.

Flutterbys

2009-08-22T12:42:00.023-05:00

I just love this card. I love everything about it...the colors, the background paper, and the layout. I came across this layout on someone's blog and had to make one. The small butterflies are punched with a Martha Stewart punch, then I added tiny adhesive pearls to the centers. The butterfly sentiment is from My Sentiments Exactly.

Grateful for You

2009-06-23T14:44:00.014-05:00

I came across a card on another stampers blog and loved the simple layout. I used her idea to make the card below. The daisy image is from Rubber Stampede.

Cinema Saturday - Ever After

2009-05-27T16:07:00.026-05:00

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge blog featured the movie Ever After this week as their challenge inspiration. I loved this movie and the first thing that came to mind was the beautiful costume she wore to the ball. I used the shape of the wings as the main element and added a little flourish to the center.

Hummingbird Card

2009-04-17T10:51:00.017-05:00

One of my favorite things to do is sit at my kitchen table and watch the hummingbirds at the feeder in the back yard. Today I made this pretty hummingbird card using black and white decorative paper, my Inkadinkado stamp and my new border punch. I really like the look of this card.

Spring Card

2009-03-15T10:47:00.025-05:00

My favorite color is green...so when I saw the Friday challenge over at Stamp Something, I had to participate. The challenge was to make something with the color green as the main part. The funny thing is I had just received a package from my secret sister, and inside was a container of green flowers! The flowers were the perfect embellishment for my green card.

I just purchased a new QuicKutz butterfly die, so made one using ivory card stock and green polka dot paper to add to the card. I love this new die...can you see the 3-D effect of the butterfly? It's a 2-piece die set and the background piece is cut out of card stock, while the more delicate front piece is cut from paper. 'Life is beautiful' is a Rubber Stampede image and the little 'friend' image is from Stampin' Up.

Secret Sister Mailbox

2009-03-14T01:51:00.021-05:00

Decorating these little dollar mailboxes from Target has been fun. This is one I decorated for my secret stamping sister. I had a lot of chipboard sayings, so after picking a fun decorative paper, I used the sayings to embellish the mailbox. I then filled it with York Peppermint Patties and sent it on it's way. I really wish I had bought more of these when Target had them in their dollar section. They make such cool little gifts and are fun to personalize.

Mojo Monday Sketch 77 Challenge

2009-03-12T09:01:00.027-05:00

It's Thursday and I finally got the card completed for the Mojo Monday Challenge this week. I love the layout and decided I'd make a card in greens with my Tulip Heart Wreath image. I like the way it came out.

Mojo Monday Sketch 76 Challenge

2009-03-05T12:49:00.018-06:00

Today I decided to participate in a card challenge over at the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge blog. It's suppose to be in the 80's today, so I went for a Springtime theme. I wanted to use my pretty Italian Florentine scrapbook paper that I recently purchased, so used the colors in it to complete the card.

The main image for the card is one of my favorites from Personal Stamp Exchange. I stamped it in black and colored it in using a small paint brush and some light pink dye ink. To finish the card I stamped the word 'enjoy' and did some tiny holes along the bottom.

Then of course, I had to make a little springtime dress card to go with the card above (using the same paper and colors). :)

Card Sketch Challenge

2009-02-11T15:16:00.014-06:00

I decided I'd participate in the Wednesday card sketch challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.com. To make the card I wanted to use my newest (old) image from Personal Stamp Exchange and make it in black and white.

I started with a white A-2 card. The first layer was a piece of white card stock embossed with my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. Next was a decorative piece of black and white scrapbook paper (backed with a piece of black) followed by a small piece of embossed white (backed with a piece of black). I then stamped a piece of white card stock with the Rose Heart image (StazOn Jet Black ink), backed it with a piece of black card stock, and attached it to front. The last step was punching out three black and white mini flowers and adding them to the right side of card using gold brads.

Once finished I uploaded it to the Splitcoaststampers website...only to realize that this sketch challenge was for last Wednesday! Oh well...better late than never.

SCS Wednesday Card Challenge

2008-12-18T06:45:00.022-06:00

Yesterday I decided to play along with the Wednesday Card Sketch Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers. I decided on a square tent card (antique tan) for the base. I used the Stampin' Up! floral image from the Nature's Wonders set for the main image along with solids and stripes.

Circle Punched Frame Card

2008-12-14T06:51:00.023-06:00

I really get a lot of inspiration from other card crafters. Some people come up with the most unique ways to decorate a card. In September I came across a blog where the stamper used her corner slot punch to make a circle frame that was just gorgeous. I didn't have the punch she used in her video, so used one I had. To see that card, go to the September 24th post. I finally bought the punch she used and made the card above. I just love this punch.

I decided I wanted to make a birthday card using this technique, so began with a 5-1/2" x 5-1/2" blue base card. I made the frame in a darker blue then backed it with some decorative floral paper. Then I stamped 'Happy Birthday' on a small piece of the same shade of blue and backed it with a darker blue. I tied a sheer white ribbon around the front of the card and attached the Happy Birthday piece.

It's Snowing!

2008-12-10T16:36:00.014-06:00

Well, the weather man was right. At 4:18 P.M. after a little sleet, someone opened a box of salt in heaven (see post below). It's actually coming down pretty good and sticking to our deck. I was just fixing to brave the weather to run out to the mailbox when it begin. Mail can wait, I'm going to watch the snow for a while. This is so cool.

Let it Snow!

2008-12-10T10:43:00.025-06:00

There's talk of SNOW here in Conroe later today. That would be so great! I only say that because here in southeast Texas, it never (or hardly ever) snows.

I can remember the best snowfall ever...I just turned 4 years old. It was February 12, 1958 and my sister and I were staying at my grandparent's home in the country. My grandmother called me to the back door window as the white crystals hit the ground. She simply said, "Someone opened a box of salt in heaven". The next morning we had a good covering of snow on the ground and it was the prettiest thing I ever saw. My sister (who was 2) and I built our first snowman that day. Every year after that (when winter hit) I'd jump up in the morning and look out the window, hoping to see snow covering the ground. Unfortunately, living in southern Louisiana at the time, I never saw a snowfall like that again.

In honor of my love of snow (and the possibility that it may actually snow today), I thought I'd make a card with a simple snowflake theme. I started with a square card and stamped a red swirl border (Stampin' Up!) at the bottom. I cut a 2" square of pink polka dot paper and punched each corner with my Wrought Iron Corner Adorner (EK Success) punch. I folded back each heart shaped part of the punch to get the little decorative medallion. I added a single silver snowflake to the center and backed it with a red circle. I then backed it with a larger white circle and a scallop punched red circle. The pink strip placed behind it is the same decorative paper as the punched medallion. Lastly, I stamped 'Peace' at the bottom.

A Favorite Christmas Card

2008-12-01T02:54:00.028-06:00

November was some month! One night I was on the computer and everything was fine. The next morning my computer completely crashed and I could not even log on. After getting someone to check it out, I learned there was no hope for it...so I went out and bought a new one. The old one served me well, but this new one is great. This one is smaller and has a flat screen monitor and I love it! With that said, I apologize for not posting much in November.

With Christmas right around the corner, I thought I'd share one of my favorite Christmas card designs. It's easy to make and for this card I used a center image of a tea bag folded medallion. I posted this tutorial in August, so revised it to post today. The Merry Christmas image is from Impression Obsession and the sentiment at the bottom is a Stampin' Up! image.

You will need a piece of 8-1/2" x 11" card stock for the outer card. Cut it down to 6-1/2" x 10". Measure over 2-1/2" from each end and score a line as shown in photo below. Fold each side to center and press the fold, open back up.

On each 6-1/2" edge, measure down 3-1/4" and make a small mark. Using a ruler, mark a line from the top of the score (fold) line to that center mark you just made. Repeat from the bottom of the score (fold) line to the mark. This will be your cutting line.

Cut along your marked lines and discard the extra pieces.

Fold each side of the card to the center and carefully glue on a punched circle to keep it closed. Cut an inside card (where your message will go) 6-1/2" x 4-15/16". Once inner card is cut, slide into outer card. You may need to trim inside card slightly for an easy 'slide'.

Decorate the outer card as desired, add a stamped (or other)image to the center (of the outer card) and stamp or print message on inner 'slide' card. Below is another card...same design with a different paper and tea bag medallion. Have a great December.

Memories of Christmas Past

2008-11-06T02:09:00.019-06:00

Memories, memories...I just entered a crafter's blog candy give-away which brought back such fond memories. We were to leave a comment about one of our best Christmas memories. My memory was the Christmas when I was 6 or 7 years old. That Christmas eve my family (all but Dad) went to spend the evening with a great aunt. My dad stayed home to make sure Santa could get in our house because we didn't have a chimney. When we got back home Santa had passed and Dad had a story to tell!

He told us that he heard something loud and someone calling for help. When he went into the front room he saw Santa stuck in the front door holding his bag of toys. Dad tried to help him out, but Santa was really stuck. He told us he had to get a 2 x 4 piece of wood and wedge it into the door to 'pry' Santa out of the doorway. Thankfully, that did the trick and Santa was able to come in and leave our toys.

I always think about that story this time of the year. Dad's no longer here and I wish I could tell him about that special memory he gave me. Do you have a special memory about Christmas as a child? I bet you do! Have a great holiday season.

Changes

2008-10-20T07:45:00.015-05:00

Burrrr...it's a cold morning in Conroe. I don't know exactly why, but Conroe is always a few degrees cooler than Houston. This morning it's 50-degrees and I am wishing I had a nice warm pair of booties to wear. It's going to be a beautiful day though, and I'm hoping to get a few cards made. I decided to start the day off by changing the look of my blog. I'm tired of the dots so I've decided to give it a clean, fresh, simple look.

I'm typing today on my brand new Microsoft (curved) keyboard. I learned a lesson over the weekend. The lesson is...if you bring your hot cup of coffee to your computer desk (so you can drink it while surfing the web) then there is a chance the cup will get knocked over and something will be damaged. Don't know how it happened...probably reaching for the mouse...but my entire cup of coffee ended up in my keyboard yesterday. Thankfully, we were shopping at Walmart last night when I told my husband, "I need a new keyboard." When he asked "Why?", I told him simply, "Because the other one isn't working right." Sometimes it's best not to give too much information or a lecture will follow. :} So the conversation ended and I now have a nice new curved keyboard.

Just for You...

2008-10-14T15:50:00.011-05:00

This card was made just for you. If you are a new reader of my blog or a long-time reader, then I just want to say thank you. Entries were few and far between during the hurricane and weeks after when I didn't have the Internet at home (or electricity, or running water), so thanks for your patience. Now that I'm online again, I hope to produce more cards and keep it current.

I'm Finally Hooked Up!

2008-10-14T14:06:00.020-05:00

The phone company truck just left and I finally have the Internet!!! I am so happy. I had to have a phone jack put in my stamping studio so I could get DSL, but hey...the $125 was worth it. Can you believe it...$125 for two guys to put in one little phone jack in about ten minutes. Oh well...I've got the Internet, so who cares.

Waiting on the Internet

2008-10-06T12:25:00.012-05:00

It's been a few weeks since Hurricane Ike and although things have been getting back to normal, I still don't have the Internet hooked up in Conroe. Looks like I will finally have it on Monday the 13th...I can't wait. I've been going to the library to use their computers and then today I discovered an Internet Cafe less than half a mile from my home. Go figure! I'm still working on cards and hopefully will be able to post the one's I've made next week. Until then, please excuse the lack of posts on my blog. Once I get the Internet set up in Conroe, I will do more blogging.

The weather here has turned cool and I love it. Really puts me in a stamping mood. The granddaughters and I made Frankenstein cards a few days ago and that was really fun. No stamping, just punching circles for eyes, nose and drawing in the mouth and scars. Until next post...have a wonderful Autumn.

Delight in Life

2008-09-24T10:05:00.015-05:00

Here is the card I made right after the hurricane. I had seen a demo of a punch technique on a circle and decided to give it a try. To see the demo, click here...Circle Punch Frame Tutorial. I like the way the punching came out on the circle (the center falls out when you punch all around it). Fun!

Surviving Ike

2008-09-20T11:18:00.011-05:00

I'm happy to say that we survived that awful 'guy' named Ike. At first we thought he would miss us, then he decided to come right up one of our major freeways, pass right over our new house in Conroe and continue on his rampage to the upper states! Thankfully, we are alive and well and slowly getting back to normal. There was so much damage to the coastal areas and the Houston area looks like a war zone. The power is slowly coming back and we are recovering.

Damage to our Conroe home was minimal...a few shingles blown off and a couple of leaks, but nothing major. We got to meet new neighbors who were so generous with ice, water and even offered to share their generators on a rotating basis! Back in Houston we had one bit of damage...the roof and ceiling over my old stamping studio. A large limb broke off a huge tree and hit the roof bending it in. The ceiling cracked and a little water came in, but nothing else was damaged. Thankfully all my stamping supplies and computer were already in my new studio in Conroe.

A few days after 'Ike' I decided to get busy making cards again (by sunlight coming through the window). It was really good therapy and I hope to upload some of the new cards soon. Thanks to all for your concern. God is good.

Happy Birthday Lindsey

2008-08-19T10:47:00.016-05:00

Today is my daughter-in-law's birthday. She's all of 22. I can't even remember being 22. I made the card below for her using one of my newest stamps from Rubber Stampede. I've bought this Hydrangea stamp many times to give as a gift, but never bought myself one until recently. It's such a pretty image and for this card I copied the color pattern shown on the stamp index. Love it! Wish I had a whole bouquet of them to give her, but she will just have to settle for a cash gift. :}

A Nice Surprise

2008-08-12T16:47:00.012-05:00

My son surprised me today. While visiting his in-laws this past weekend, he and his wife went to a garage sale down the street. The lady having the sale was selling a bunch of rubber stamps for $1 each. Not knowing if I would like any of them, he did pick out a pack of four that he thought I might like. Today he brought them over to me. When I saw what he had bought I was thrilled and a bit depressed at the same time. It turns out the lady was selling retired Stampin' Up! stamps (by the sets). He picked out the set Nature's Wonders (which I did not have) and I was thrilled. OMG...that's the kind of sale I dream of coming across and I missed out. Oh well, I was very happy with the set he bought and told him over and over again how much I loved it.

Today I used two of the stamps to make him and his sweet wife a thank you card.

We're Moving!

2008-07-25T13:37:00.011-05:00

It's done...today we closed on the new house in Conroe, Texas. Excited, yes...anxious, yes...scared, yes...so much to do. My focus the past few months has been getting items for the kitchen. I now have lots of pretty apple items to turn the new kitchen into a cozy country kitchen. The kitchen will not take too much work, but the room that will be my new stamping studio will be a challenge. Teenagers occupied the room before and painted the wall in a dark blue and black color...uggggh. Looks like a base coat of blue and then feathered application of the black...what were they thinking?!!!

My first priority is to try and cover the old paint with a good primer followed by a nice warm grown-up color. I will be so happy when that step is completed so I can move all my stuff in the room. The thing I hate is the transition time...can't make cards, can't use computer, have everything in boxes. Oh well, 'such is life', as my husband would say. For now I will be content to have my studio up and running here while the painting is being done. So hopefully, by the start of September I'll be blogging from my new studio (and loving the space I'm in!).

A Fun Challenge

2008-07-19T06:24:00.014-05:00

This is one of the rare times I'm actually participating in a blog challenge. I came across this layout challege on the blog 'Sketches by Tamara' (see link at the left), and liked the layout, so made the card below.

I decided on a red, white and black theme, used a flourish image from SU, a couple of circle punch pieces, a silk polka dot flower and 'with thanks' stamp from Papertrey. I love it! The only color combination I like better than black and white is red, black and white.

Simple Hello

2008-06-28T20:25:00.015-05:00

I didn't have much time today to make a card because the granddaughters were over. The oldest (9-year-old) wanted to Cuttlebug, so we did a little embossing with the small embossing folders. I had a bunch of narrow white strips of card stock, so we tried making a row of the embossed images to use on a card. It took a few tries, but we finally got a nice even row. One of the embossed strips was used on the card above. I glued the strip to the left side of the card, added a black and white teabag fold medallion (Fred, She Said) with a white flower center, and stamped a little 'Hello' at the bottom. I like it...simple, quick and easy (well...not that easy, but simple and quick once the embossing and teabag folding was done).

Circle of Trees

2008-06-27T03:31:00.021-05:00

I was at Big Lots the other day and they had a few Inkadinkado rubber stamps in their scrapbooking section. Every once in a while they will get closeout stamps from companies, so I always check when I'm in the area. I found two nice stamps that I liked, a flower and a tree for $2 each. The tree is a solid image, so I had a thought to make a black and white card, stamping the tree in a circle pattern. Once the trees were stamped I added a black punch to the center and glued on a couple of white flowers.

To align the trees in a perfect circle, I used a circle graph (like the one below), a light box and my Stamp-a-ma-jig.

You can get a circle graph from the Templates by Donovan web site but you will have to add the cross lines yourself. Once on web page, go down to Tools and Misc. Templates and click on Perfect Circles.

For placement accuracy you can use any stamp alignment tool...my favorite is the Stamp-a-ma-jig. It runs about $10 at Michaels.

It was a fun card to make and I finished it off by adding a brad to each corner and placing the white layer on a black tent card. Finished size of card is 5-1/2" X 5-1/2".

Teabag Folding at 2 a.m.

2008-06-18T07:48:00.028-05:00

I don't know why, but I have this thing happening where I wake up at 2 a.m. just about every morning. I sleep good up until that time and then I'm wide awake. So lately, I've taken that time (it's very quiet and peaceful) to work on cards.

The first thing I did this morning was check out a favorite teabag folding website. That led me to create two cards using the tiles I printed out. If you've never tried teabag folding, it's very easy. You start with small decorative paper squares, fold them into a smaller square (or kite shape), slip the squares together and that makes a decorative medallion.

These are the two cards I made this morning. I used a simple fold technique and used decorative paper as a background. I think they came out nice.

Birthday Tulips

2008-05-28T21:30:00.019-05:00

Some people are so hard to buy for! I've decided from now on, instead of searching for a gift I think they will like, I will only give gift cards. Many stores now carry a variety of gift cards, so there's plenty to choose from. As a stamper, this also gives me the opportunity to make something to hold the gift card.

I saw a video on another stamper's blog for making a holder, so will share that with you so you can take a look. The measurements are given on the video plus step by step instructions. To see the video, click on Gift Card Holder Tutorial at the left under Favorite Web Sites. Dawn did a wonderful job on her card. On the card I made, I Cuttlebug-embossed the bottom layer after printing 'Happy Birthday' at the bottom. The center image is a Tulip Heart Wreath from PSX (one of my favorite images). What kind of gift card did I put in this one? A Wal-Mart gift card of course. Everybody shops at Wal-Mart, don't they?

The Importance of RAKS

2008-05-21T09:15:00.020-05:00

RAKs...Random Acts of Kindness are so important. As a card crafter, an RAK can be a simple card sent to someone that says I'm thinking of You, or Hope you're having a good day. My personal ministry is sending cards to residents in a local nursing home. So much came to light when my Mother-in-law was a resident there. I enjoyed getting to know some of the interesting people, made several friends among the residents and saw a need that was there. When it was time for mail to be delivered, some got cards from loved ones which brightened their day. Then there were some that never got a card and seldom ever had visitors. That was when I decided RAKs were definitely needed there.

If you think this might be of interest to you, make a few and take them up to your local nursing home. On my card envelopes I put 'To Someone Special at (name of facility)', the address, and then deliver them to the activities director of the home. She then hands them out to the residents in need (usually the ones who hardly ever get mail). On the inside of the cards I will print or stamp a message and sign it 'From a Friend'. I don't just limit it to hand crafted cards, I also send decorative (visual) note cards, purchased greeting cards, etc. It's the thought that counts...and a card just lets them know that someone is thinking about them.

Candy for the Teacher

2008-05-18T14:27:00.025-05:00

The end of the school year is only two weeks away. The grandchildren and I were talking about an end-of-year gift for their teacher and the first thing that came to mind was chocolate. Then again, it doesn't take much for chocolate to come to my mind. The grandchildren have more than one teacher, so I decided to go economical and make personalized Hershey Bar Treats for each of the teachers.

Hershey Bars (1.55 ounce) are approx. 6-1/2" x 2-1/4". So I began with a piece of lightweight card stock (you can use paper also), size 6" x 5-5/8". I wrapped the card/paper around the bar to get an idea of where the front of the bar would be. On the sample shown, I stamped an SU flourish image on the left and then added the wording (computer-generated) on the right. I took three of the bridal flowers (available at Michael's) and sponge-stamped them with red dye ink. I then placed a gold brad through the centers and glued them onto the wrapper. I found a pretty cup, added a few Hershey's Kisses and the gift was complete. It's a quick and easy treat that I know the teachers will like. After all...Who doesn't like chocolate?