Hardwood Home

Hello!

I had fun making this New Home card (Ah, who am I kidding? I have fun making ALL cards, even if they don't turn out the way I want them to!).  It gave me a chance to use the new-to-me Hardwood background stamp from Stampin' Up! 

I added loads of little details on here:  a house from Boards & Beams by Papertrey Ink, stamped on hardwood patterned paper, then colored in tones of warm gray with Copic markers.  All windows were touched with Glossy Accents.  There's a chipboard star, coated in glitter and topped with a tiny punched heart.  Oh, and a metal key from Tim Holtz, attached with Hug Snug seam binding, with a little sentiment tag dangling alongside it.

I got out my sewing machine to attach a brown damask banner (paper from Graphic 45), and in the pic below you can see little gold flowers.  They were trimmed from a Memory Box Flowering Christmas Tree die cut, cut from gold cardstock.

That's it for me right now.  I've just written up five blog posts, and need to move on to some chores around the house.  Ho-hum, chores!  I'd much rather be crafting. :-)

Enjoy your day, and thanks for coming by!

Stamps: Boards & Beams - Papertrey Ink; sentiment - Owl Be Thinking of You - The Craft's Meow; Hardwood background - Stampin' Up! Paper: Close to Cocoa - Stampin' Up!; brown damask pattern - Graphic 45; hardwood pattern (house stamped on it); cereal box chipboard (star); gold metallic - WorldWin Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; Chocolate Chip - SU; Old Paper, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain - Ranger Fibers: Mottle Brown seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: metal key - Tim Holtz; Glossy Accents - Ranger; Copic markers; clear glitter, small tag punch - Martha Stewart; star punch - Fiskars; Flowering Christmas Tree die - Memory Box; memories journaling die cut - Colorbok; heart punch - Heart-to-Heart punch - Stampin' Up!

French Country Collage

All things are possible

When things in life seem to be going wrong, and you cannot see a way out, remember what Jesus said:

Matthew 19:26New International Version (NIV)

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

I take comfort in this verse, and am grateful to serve a God who loves us so very much.

Romans 8:28New International Version (NIV)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

This stamp is from Verve's Here For You.  Thank you to Verve owner, Julee Tilman, for making such beautiful stamp sets. :-)

May you have a blessed day, and weekend!  See you sometime next week.

Stamps: Here For You - Verve; Eiffel Tower - Artistic Etchings - Stampin' Up! Paper: Bordering Blue, Soft Suede, Mellow Moss, patterns - Stampin' Up!; white - Papertrey Ink Ink: London Fog, Tuxedo Black - Memento - Tsukineko; Pumice Stone - Ranger Fibers: vintage thread Accessories & Tools: button; Bisque Liquid Pearls - Ranger; Rock Fern punch - Martha Stewart; cream ribbon flower w/pearls - JoAnn; Floral Doily Motifs die - Spellbinders

Propose A Toast

I'd like to propose a toast:

"May your hearts know only happiness from this day forward." 

Isn't that lovely?  It's a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Propose A Toast set, perfect for engagements and weddings, and even anniversaries.  Quite versatile, I'd say!

I used gold embossing for the champagne, or white wine...whichever you prefer.  I like both!

The damask paper and Bordering Blue card base are retired stuff from Stampin' Up!  I love new stamps and papers, all kinds of new goodies to play with...but I really enjoy using my older stuff, too.  I know I am not alone in that!

Have a terrific day!

Stamps: Propose A Toast - Papertrey Ink  Paper: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; pattern, Bordering Blue - Stampin' Up! Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: gold embossing powder - Stampin' Up!; Framed Tulip embossing folder; pearls - Queen & Co. 

Fresh Daisies

Hello!

Sometimes, you just need a simple card, but still want it to have a little pizzazz.  I added a few details that took this from plain to a-little-better-than-plain:  bright yellow punched flowers, topped with yellow gems, and a stitched rectangle die cut for the sentiment (Verve).

I rounded the bottom corners of the card, too, though it's maybe a bit tough to see it here with all this white. 

Thanks a bunch for coming by today!

Stamps: Brighter Days - Verve Paper: white - Papertrey Ink; yellows - Stampin' Up! Accessories & Tools: Stitched Rectangles die - L'il Inker Designs; yellow gems - Queen & Co.; corner rounder punch - Fiskars; Flower Trio punch - SU

Bits & Pieces make kindness go a long way

Happy Monday!

This card was easy-peasy to make, thanks to the $1.00 Scrap Bags I'm still working from, after all these years.  Big thanks to my AWESOME Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Gail Murray!  The embossed panel, the sentiment / die cut, the butterflies, the flower, the strip of patterned paper at the bottom....all from the scrap bag.  I die cut Branch With Leaves / Sizzix, and assembled everything on a card base of pale gray, topped with a panel of Groovy Guava.

OH, and I added touches of iridescent glitter glue / Stickles on the butterfly.  :-)

That houndstooth flower makes me happy.  It's got a silver glitter center.  Wow!  Haven't seen a blossom like this in nature.

Thanks so much for coming by, and I hope you have a TERRIFIC week!

Paper: Going Gray, Groovy Guava, Very Vanilla, Crisp Cantaloupe, Wild Wasabi, silver glitter, patterns - Stampin' Up! Accessories & Tools: Branch with Leaves Sizzlit die - Sizzix; Finial Press embossing folder, circle punch, flower punch, butterfly punch - SU; iridescent Stickles glitter glue - Ranger

Happy Wedding Day

Hello!

I truly love using bits and pieces of things leftover from other projects, to turn them into something new. Such is the case with today's wedding card. The sentiment panel was cut in two, and I saved the other half for a later project. After sponging on some subtle ink, and then stamping the Papertrey Ink sentiment, I added sequins, pearls, and pretty gold snippets of a Flowering Christmas Tree die (Memory Box). Those tiny metallic gold accents really did it for me!

The papers were collected long ago at a Stampin' Up! Retired Stuff Sale at my demonstrator's house. The bottom black panel has flocking on it -- love the tactile dimension it adds to the card.

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Stamps: Tag-Its #5 - Papertrey Ink Paper: metallic gold - WorldWin; Vintage Cream, white - Papertrey Ink; patterns - Stampin' Up! Ink: Antique Linen - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: Flowering Christmas Tree die - Memory Box; Sparkling Crystal sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; pearls - Queen & Co.; Decorative Labels Eight die - Spellbinders

Anniversary Nest

Hello!

If these papers look familiar, it's because you saw a New Home card from me on Monday using the same Sweetness collection from Pink Paislee.

This is an anniversary card featuring roses, a stamped bird from Hampton Arts' Carpe Diem set, a die cut doily, and a handmade burlap nest...complete with pearls for eggs.  I had a snippet of burlap wire-edged ribbon leftover from another project, and it was actually in kind of a triangular shape.  I just wound it around in a circle a couple of times, and used glue to secure it to the doily die cut. Also...can you see the tiny pearl eye on the bird? :-)

Wishing you a wonderful, blessed day!

Stamps: bird- Carpe Diem - Hampton Arts Paper: Crumb Cake, yellow (?) - Stampin' Up!; white - Papertrey Ink; patterns - Sweetness - Pink Paislee Ink: Soft Suede - SU Fibers: burlap Accessories & Tools: rose stickers - Anna Griffin; pearls - Recollections; Decorative Doily Duo die - My Favorite Things

Chevron-Happy

Hello there!

The patterned papers I used on today's cards come from a Hampton Arts / Ki collection called Metro Garden. It was a good deal from Tuesday Morning. Only problem with Good Deals is that they all want to come home with me. :-)  I have sworn off visits to Tuesday Morning for months and months now. I know if I visit, more paper pads will want to jump into my shopping cart, and I sure don't need any more patterned paper! Oy! 

I thought these papers were very handsome, so I paired them with Magnificent Maple leaves from Stampin' Up!, some velvet ribbon, assorted gray and gold sequins, and a small sentiment.

It's driving me crazy that I cannot find where this sentiment came from!  I made the cards months ago, and even though I use Evernote to catalog all of my stamp sets (and paper pads, and seam bindings, and sequin colors, and dies, and punches!), I still can't find the darn thing.

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Stamps: Magnificent Maple - Stampin' Up!; sentiment (I don't know! Ack!) Paper: patterns - Metro Garden - Hampton Art/Ki; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink Ink: Soft Suede - Stampin' Up! Fibers: cocoa, gray velvet ribbons - May Arts Accessories & Tools: Classic Tags die - Memory Box; Gunmetal, Matte Gold sequins - MJ Trimming

Home Sweet Home x 2

Welcome!

Not long ago, I made two New Home cards using patterned papers from Pink Paislee's Sweetness collection. My favorite is the one above, with those pink cabbage roses under the house. 

I used a favorite stamp set of mine on both cards, as well:  Boards & Beams by Papertrey Ink.  The images are great for coloring, but I also like them uncolored.  There's plenty of detail to keep them from looking bland.

Stamps: Boards & Beams - Papertrey Ink Paper: patterns - Sweetness - Pink Paislee; blue polka dots (clouds) - Stampin' Up! Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: natural twine - American Crafts Accessories & Tools: Cloud 1 & 2 dies - Papertrey Ink; paper button sticker - K & Co.

The next version uses a different colorway, also included in the Sweetness collection.  The ledger look to the yellow paper made a neat backdrop, but I added something subtle to it.  See the faint words, like an old-time advertisement, near the top right quadrant? That's a stamp from Pink Paislee's London Market / Vintage Impressions set.  I used Frayed Burlap Distress Ink for it, so that it is just ever-so-slightly noticeable.

I added a sweet little pink button, tied with pink ribbon, to give it that little extra something.

The clouds are from Inspired By Stamping's The Sky's The Limit, stamped in two shades of pink and trimmed closely.

Thank you SO much for coming by today! 

Stamps: London Market / Vintage Impressions - Pink Paislee; Boards & Beams - Papertrey Ink; The Sky's The Limit - Inspired By Stamping Paper: patterns - Sweetness - Pink Paislee; white - PTI

Ink: Pretty In Pink, Pink Pirhouette - Stampin' Up!; Frayed Burlap - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: pink ribbon Accessories & Tools: Cloud 1 & 2 dies - Papertrey Ink; pink flower button - Stampin' Up!; paper button sticker - K & Co.

Cristabel looks out a window

Hello! We're baking here in NJ: not in my kitchen, but outside. Man, is it hot! This morning, before the heat became too unbearable, I spent some time weeding, deadheading and watering in the garden. Then, because I'm just plain ol' crazy, I cleaned all the windows on the bottom floor of our house. My girls helped a little, and I am grateful for that. We have tilt-in windows, the ONLY way to go, as far as I'm concerned! Makes the cleaning job much easier. 

Speaking of windows, how about this paper version?

Looks like our Cristabel, peering outside! I used a Memory Box Madison Window die, and backed it with a plain piece of white cardstock that had been sponged to resemble grass and sky.

See the tiny pawprint inside the card? I always like to stamp something in the card, and then do a matching image on the envelope.

See the resemblance? :-)

Hope you're keeping cool, wherever you are!  

Stamps: Cat's Meow - Papertrey Ink Paper: white, kraft, True Black - Papertrey Ink Ink: Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint - Ranger Accessories & Tools: Large Sitting Cat, Madison Window dies - Memory Box

Clean Best Wishes

Boy, this was tough to photograph!

On this wedding card, there is lots of white, and only a touch of gray ink. I layered a white, embossed circle die cut on the card base, and accented it with punched white hydrangeas, topped with pearls. By the way, when I add pearls or other gems to something that is not flat, I use a touch of glue to help secure it, even when it already has sticky stuff on the back. Two faves of mine: Ranger Multi Medium Matte, or Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue.   

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

                                                                                                     ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

Thank you so much for your visit today!

Stamps: Fresh Cut Wreaths - Wplus9 Paper: white - Papertrey Ink Ink: Basic Gray - Stampin' Up! Accessories & Tools: Hydrangea punch - Martha Stewart; pearls - Queen & Co.; circle die - Spellbinders; Lacy Brocade embossing folder - Stampin' Up!; corner rounder punch - Fiskars

Mod Flowers

Hello there! 

Not much to this card. If you blink, you might miss it! haha 

On a Soft Stone card base, I layered black and white flower die cuts from a $1.00 Scrap Bag, added red iridescent gems (on clearance at Michael's...yesssss!), and an Avery Elle sentiment from a Christmas set.

Sometimes, you just need a simple thank you card. :-)

Pretty sure I've got the 'simple' part nailed down!

Stamps: Winter Wreath - Avery Elle Paper: Soft Stone - Papertrey Ink; black, white - SU Accessories & Tools: flower dies - SU; iridescent red gems - Recollections

Proud-of-You Shaker Card

It's a rare sight here on my blog.

This is the second shaker card I ever made! If you missed the first, check it out. It's the second card in the post. They're not difficult to make, but they take a bit of extra time, and often, I'm in too much of a hurry to do it.

The Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circle dies were used here as the frames. After popping the smaller one up on foam dimensional tape, I didn't like the look of the card from the side. The foam tape looked really messy, and so I wound hemp cord around the frame twice, tying it off in a bow to one side.  

On a smaller white cardstock circle in the back of the frame, I stamped Bella's Bloom from Stampin' Up!  The 'window' is a scrap piece of acetate with black polka dots on it (found in a $1.00 Scrap Bag). The sequins are nothing fancy, culled from my kids' art stash from when they were younger.

I'm glad you came by today. Thanks for your visit!

Stamps: Bella's Bloom - Stampin' Up!; Small Phrases - Verve Paper: white - Papertrey Ink; Sahara Sand, clear acetate with polka dots - Stampin' Up! Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: hemp cord - Hemptique Accessories & Tools: sequins - kids' craft stash; Stitched Circles dies - Simon Says Stamp; corner rounder punch - Fiskars

Sympathy on the Farm

Hello there, friends. 

I made this sympathy card for someone sweet, who is helpful and kind, and such a lovely human being. She lost too many loved ones in a fairly short span of time, and it left her feeling empty inside.

I wanted to brighten her day, and let her know that she is in my thoughts and prayers. I let the Papertrey Ink Spring Hills image take center stage, as I think that little farm scene is very tranquil and soothing. It was fun to color with Copic markers, too. :-)

A simple sentiment, also from PTI, is all the card needed. I like the clean, spare look of the card, and hope my friend did, too.

Stamps: Words of Comfort, Spring Hills - Papertrey Ink Paper: white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Copic markers