Thursday, November 27, 2014

In everything, give thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!



I'm thankful for YOU.  =)

Enjoy your holiday weekend!  See you soon.




Stamps: Happy Harmony (sentiment), Autumn Splendor - SU 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Thanksgiving Leaf Cluster

Hello!  I hope today finds you well, and preparing for Thanksgiving tomorrow, if you are one of my American friends.  As I write this post, I'm not sure where we will spend this holiday, but I'll be giving thanks for the many blessings in my life - no matter where I am.


Today's card reminds me of a cornucopia, with bounty from the land (if you eat leaves and acorns), with rich colors thrown in. I fell in love with this card.  The leaves, the jewel tones mixed with neutrals, and the tiny details add up to something that pleases me.


Some Stampin' Up! Tulle Ribbon, found in a scrap bag (I live off of those scraps, as you can see from post to post), was pleated and added to the back of the plum panel with glue.


I leave you with a quote I found online:

"Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting."--Unknown

Be blessed, my friends.  :-D



Paper: kraft - PTI; Perfect Plum, Purely Pomegranate, River Rock - SU Fibers: Tulle Ribbon, gold/cream twine - SU; scalloped lace; twine - Creative Impressions Accessories & Tools: Tattered Leaves die - Sizzix/Tim Holtz; Matte Gold sequins - MJ Trimming; small 4 mm Sand sequin - Pretty Pink Posh; acorn die - SU; Picket Fence Crackle Paint - Tim Holtz/Ranger; silver, gold Smooch inks

Monday, November 24, 2014

Hello, Mixed Media

Hi.  :)  I've been dipping my toe in the waters of mixed media, just a little at a time...as with this card here.  I slopped up this card below pretty good the day I made it:


The vintage book page was spritzed, wiped, inked, painted and heaven knows what else.  Not sure I'm loving it.  The taupe flowers were a gift from my friend, Sindhu, of Trapped In Craft.  I clustered many together to make one larger one, and surrounded them with Rose Leaf punch-outs.


I'm becoming a fan of Altenew, a stamp company that has really fresh ideas.  This sentiment is from Label Love.   I've got two Altenew sets filled with sentiments, but I've reserved an order for Vintage Roses.  Finally:  a two-step stamping set, in clear poly that helps build gorgeous flowers with lots of depth.  I have a few old sets from Stampin' Up! like this, but you need a Stamp-a-majig, and sometimes I'm not in the mood to fiddle with that.


Life has been incredibly busy for me this past month or so.  I've had my blog posts all lined up for a while now, and glad I did so, because I've had no free time at all to craft.  I'm aching to get back into my studio again.  I'm also sorely behind on visiting blogs!  Please know I think of you all - my blogging friends - often, and miss visiting to see what you've created.

I hope you have a wonderful day, and an equally wonderful week!  :)



Stamps: Label Love - Altenew Paper: vintage book page; kraft, Vintage Cream - PTI; patterns, Always Artichoke - SU Fibers: crochet lace Accessories & Tools: taupe paper roses - www.iamroses.com; pearl flourish - Want2Scrap; Rose Leaf punch, silver & white craft paints - Martha Stewart; Khaki ink spray - Tattered Angels

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Christmas Paperwhites

Hello.  :-)  In the years before I had children, I used to force paperwhite flowers to give as Christmas gifts.  It's really easy to do, and makes an incredibly lovely presentation for someone (even yourself). I would scour thrift stores to find vessels for the bulbs to grow in, but the one I always used for myself was from my dad.  It's a decent size, made of glass, and Dad told me it was an antique battery holder.  It's one of the few treasures I have of his, and reminds me just how much he loved shopping for antiques (though, at the time, I thought it was just old junk; what did I know?).

The Christmas cards I'm sharing today feature a Flourishes set, Paperwhites.  I was lucky enough to win it one November a few years ago.  Each of these two cards have the same color palette:  warm grays and cream.  Even the same Copic markers were used on each one, but with quite different results.

The first is my favorite, and that of my 13 year old daughter, as well.


A smidgen of a vintage book page peeks out at top and bottom behind the main panel.  A vintage button and thread adorn it.  I've stamped the "Season's Greetings" sentiment from the Paperwhites set across the bottom, over the flower stems.  Finally, a coating of crystal glitter over the flowers gives it a subtle, festive feel.


I used a colorless blender pen by Copic to create some random dots amidst the background.  Love how it turned out.


On the next card, I used a smaller bouquet stamp from the set to create a background for the card base.  The main panel was colored with the same markers as above, but see how much different it looks when on cream cardstock?


Same greeting, stamped in the same way, but this time I also stamped it in black on a mini circle tag. It was popped up on foam dimensional stickers, and tied with the vintage thread.


Which one do you like better?

Before I go, I just want to share a pic of my girls when they were younger.  Why?  Because this mother's heart is bursting with gratitude to be entrusted with these precious lives.


I love my girls so very, very much.

Thank you so much for visiting me today.  I really appreciate it!



Stamps: Paperwhites - Flourishes Paper: Sahara Sand, Basic Gray - SU; Vintage Cream - PTI; vintage book page Ink: Sahara Sand - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: vintage thread Accessories & Tools: Classic Tags die - Memory Box; Copic markers; vintage button; Crystal glitter - Martha Stewart

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Vintage Santa meets Modern Snowflakes

Hi!  The card I'm sharing today took almost no time to make.  Gotta love those.  ;-)


The card base, cardstock layers and patterned paper were pre-cut; all I needed to do was glue them together.  Then, I added a cool vintage-style Santa sticker from a K & Co. pack.  I thought about adding ribbons, or gems, or..., or...., but in the end decided to keep it clean.


K & Co. had put a couple of gems on the sticker, by the sentiment.  That's enough to dress it up!

Thanks so much for coming by today.  :-)

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

A Krafty Shower

Hi there!  I'm sure today's card looks a bit familiar.  I did similar versions here and here.  I like when hydrangeas rain down, what can I say?  =)



It's a pretty simple card that doesn't need much explanation.  I hope you've enjoyed it today! Take care, my friends.



Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes - SU; Large Umbrella - DeNami Design Accessories & Tools: Hydrangea punch - Martha Stewart; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger

Monday, November 17, 2014

A Mellow Moss kind of Christmas...and news

Whoo hoo!  Time for me to start posting some Christmas cards.  It's not far off.  Yikes!  I never feel prepared, even though the date never changes from year to year.  ;-)

Both cards featured today have something in common:  a Mellow Moss card base.  The first card sports a 'tree' (branch stamp from All That Glitters - Flourishes), with a punched ornament dangling from it.  The Stampin' Up! Ornament Punch has white-embossed flowers from Elements of Style on it.  The sentiment is from a Mark's Finest Papers set, the name of which I don't recall.  It's long gone.


The next card has the same K & Co. die cut strip with a holly pattern, but the focal point is a bit different.  The scalloped oval was stamped with Inspired By Stamping's Festive Frames foliage and sentiment.  I topped it off with a snippet of more K & Co. goodness:  holly leaves and berries die cuts.


These cards made good use of some snippets I had on hand, and it made the creating go much faster.

As for my news:  sadly, I've had to step down from The Card Concept design team.  I've got too much on my plate in my personal life.  Being on a DT is a challenge for me right now, so I had to say goodbye.  I really like the ladies at The Card Concept.  Everyone is so easy going, supportive and kind.  I will miss being part of their team.

Have a wonderful day, and thanks so much for stopping by.  :)

Friday, November 14, 2014

Eclectic Anniversary

Hi!  What do you think:  is this eclectic?


I used skinny strips of patterned paper from a Stampin' Up! scrap bag, and arranged them in a random kind of pattern on a cream panel.  After securing the panel to the card, I added some Tattered Leaves (Tim Holtz/Sizzix) which had been gussied up.  A fern stamp from Stampin' Up!'s Touch of Nature gave the leaves a bit of subtle interest, stamped in black, and then some smudges of gold Smooch ink provided some luster.


The sentiment at the bottom is from Hero Arts Everyday Sayings, on a hand-trimmed banner.

I was trying to do something different from my usual, but I'm not sure I strayed too far after all!  LOL



Stamps: Everyday Sayings - Hero Arts; fern from Touch of Nature - SU Paper: Creamy Caramel, cream/black patterns, Whisper White - SU; green (?) Ink: black - Rubber Stampede; gold Smooch ink Fibers: gold/cream twine - SU Accessories & Tools: Tattered Leaves die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Bold black and white birthday card

Hello, friends!  Sharing a card that doesn't need too much explanation today.  It was my mother's birthday card earlier this fall.  My mom loooooves black and white, so there's ample amounts of those colors here.  I had to add a bit of green to liven things up a little.


American Crafts makes a pretty rosette ribbon (you can find some HERE at Create For Less, an online store) that I used to make the flower on this card.  Just wound it around into a circle, secured it to a black circle die cut with Aleene's Tacky Glue, and topped it off with a pretty gem.

Thank you so much for coming by!



Stamps: Think Big Favorites #12 - Papertrey Ink Paper: white - PTI; black and white pattern - SU Halloween pattern Ink: black Fibers: black ribbon - Stamp Simply Ribbon Store; black rosette ribbon - American Crafts Accessories & Tools: gem - Recollections; Branch with Leaves die - Sizzix 

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Beach-inspired post card for a wedding

Hello!  Yes, two days in a row, I've got wedding cards to share.  :-)  There sure are a lot of couples hitched to be married out there!  Hoping my handmade cards help make the big day a special one.


This card reminds me of a (somewhat) vintage post card.  My favorite thing is the focal point:  a jumble of shells, surrounded by a cork frame.

This negative die cut - a piece of cork, cut with a Deckled Rectangle die from Spellbinders - was lying about.  I was not sure what to do with it, but then it struck me that it would make a good frame for these bits of sea life.  A sprinkling of crystal clear glitter and a few pearls make it feel even more beachy.


The papers are from a lovely collection by Prima called Seashore.


Wishing you sunshine, this and every day!



Stamps: sentiments - Fresh Cut Wreaths - Wplus9; Seashells with Round Frame, Seashells with Rectangle Frame - Blockheads Paper Arts Paper: Naturals White - SU; adhesive-backed cork; patterns - Seashore - Prima Ink: Close to Cocoa, Early Espresso - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; assorted Distress Inks - Ranger Accessories & Tools: pearls; clear glitter - Martha Stewart; Large Deckled Rectangles die - Spellbinders

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Modern Mr. & Mrs.

Hi there!  One of the cards I recently delivered to A Beautiful Touch in Westmont NJ is this clean and simple guy right here:


I had some Crumb Cake patterned paper scraps lying around, complete with Crumb Cake cardstock mats (yes, it was another thing in a Stampin' Up! scrap bag ;), already trimmed.  I thought that the little groom's tux and bride's gown images (Hampton Art's Wedding) would look good framed by them.

The gold-embossed circular sentiment is from the same set.


Have a beautiful day!



Stamps: sentiment, dress, suit - Wedding - Hampton Art Paper: True Black - Papertrey Ink; Crumb Cake, patterned - SU Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: gold embossing powder - SU; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder - SU; circle punch

Monday, November 10, 2014

A Custom Creation: roses for a friend's mom

Hello everyone!  Happy Monday.  :-)  A friend of mine requested a custom card for her mother, who was finishing up chemo treatments.  This card celebrates a major milestone for that family, and I was beyond thrilled to create something so very special:


My friend's mom loves:

  • the color purple
  • roses
  • sparkly things :-) 

I had an image from Close To My Heart's Topiaries that fit the scheme perfectly, and made sure to add glittery spots, along with pearly ones, in the leaves.


I am beyond thrilled for my friend's mom, and for all those who love her.  Wishing her God's blessings in abundance.  :-)



Stamps: Topiaries - Close to my Heart Paper: Orchid Opulence, Always Artichoke, Whisper White - SU Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: iridescent gem - Recollections; Copic markers; iridescent stickles, White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; Victoria embossing folder - Cuttlebug

Friday, November 7, 2014

Messy Leaves

Hey there!  Happy Friday!  Today's card was fun to put together.  Boy, did I make a mess!  Usually, I like staying very clean; yeah, I'm one of those folks.  ;-)   But on the day I made the card below, I wanted to play with inks and paints and embossing powders.  What resulted is a pure, lovely mess....


I used Rubber Stampede's embossing ink refill (liquid form) to sprinkle splotches on the card base, then embossed with gold embossing powder.  The ink saturated the card a bit too much, making some areas a little buckled.  Oh well.


The Tattered Leaves die cuts (Tim Holtz/Sizzix) were inked with so many things, I don't even recall.  I do remember using metallic gold paint on here, smeared around a little.  There are some Onyx sequins from Pretty Pink Posh added around the leaves, and a sentiment from Inspired By Stamping was added to an acorn die cut.


So there you go!  A messy one from me.  :-)  Thanks so much for your visit, and have a fabulous weekend!



Stamps: Happy Fall - Inspired By Stamping Paper: True Black - PTI; dots pattern, Crumb Cake - SU Fibers: black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: Onyx sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; Tulip embossing folder, acorn and small leaf die cut - SU; Tattered Leaves die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix; gold embossing powder

Thursday, November 6, 2014

CASEing a Crafter: At home, under the stars

Hello friends!  I pinned an adorable card by Paula of Stampinantics on my Pinterest board entitled, "Cards - New Home" a while back.  Recently, I had a chance to become inspired by it, and create my own version:


I love the Stampin' Up! set, Good Neighbors.  That's what drew me to Paula's card in the first place. She created a lovely, large moon behind her houses, and I riffed on that by sponging lots of dark plum and black inks around the edges.  Speckled stamps from SU's Itty Bitty Backgrounds became stars.

Just so happens that I had these little houses in my box of cast-offs from a project long ago.   I lined them up along a dark 'street', and stamped a Papertrey Ink sentiment there.


A big thanks to Paula for sharing such an awesome creation with all of us.  It's a neat idea!

And thank YOU for coming to see my creation today!  Have a wonderful day!



Stamps: Good Neighbors, Itty Bitty Backgrounds - Stampin' Up!; Daily Designs Sentiments - PTI Paper: white, True Black - PTI; Elegant Eggplant - SU Ink: Lavender Lace, Perfect Plum, Lovely Lavender, Basic Black - SU; Versamark - Tsukineko; white craft ink - Ranger Accessories & Tools: white embossing powder; corner rounder punch - Fiskars

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Hello, Teal

Hi there!  One of my not-so-fave retired colors from Stampin' Up! is Taken With Teal. Always kind of avoided using it, but I do hate waste.   I made a few cards with the teal cardstock, and this is one of them:


And you know, it kind of grew on me.  :-)  It ain't so bad after all.


The sentiment from Fiskars' All Year Greetings says "hello," but this is actually a birthday card.  I like being able to stretch my stamps as much as I can.  A Spellbinders' Corner Flourish die cut in black -- times 2, placed end-to-end -- helped create the central focal point.

Thank you so much for coming by today!



Stamps: All Year Greetings - Fiskars Paper: Taken With Teal - SU; True Black, white - PTI Fibers: black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: Corner Flourish die - Spellbinders; blue gems - Michaels
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