A Tiny Dress

I made this super-feminine Baby Girl card for the shop recently.  It began with the little dress, which was in the UFO box (UnFinished Objects), and I built around it.

This was the perfect chance to play with my new Ash Pink seam binding.  Love, love, love!  I asked for Hug Snug seam binding (from Zipper Stop) at Christmas, and I received 6 new rolls in different colors.  Yay!  Only had white before, and now a whole new world is opened up for me.  :-D  By the way, this stuff lasts and lasts and lasts. The 100 yard rolls just go on forever, it seems, and each one is under $10.  A great deal,  if you ask me.

Another fun Christmas gift - Boutique Borders: Baby stamp set from Papertrey Ink.  The sentiment is from that set.  The dress is from IBS.

Hope you enjoyed today's card!  Thanks for coming by.

Stamps: dress - Oh, Baby! - IBS; sentiment - Boutique Borders: Baby - PTI Paper: Pink Pirhouette, Regal Rose, patterns - SU Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko; Antique Linen - Ranger Fibers: Ash Pink seam binding - Hug Snug; vintage thread Accessories & Tools: tag punch - Martha Stewart; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; doily - Wilton; Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder - SU; button; pearls - Queen & Co.

Easy, Elegant Sympathy Cards

Hello my friends.  :-)  Today I am sharing a set of four sympathy cards, made specially for a local veterinarian to give to her clients who've lost a fur-baby.  A friend of mine works at the clinic, and thought perhaps her boss might want to purchase these.  Keeping my fingers crossed that the doctor likes them.

I used gray card bases for all four, and lined the interior of each with a lighter-weight white cardstock (like Epson Presentation Paper, found at Staples).

These serene die cuts are from K & Co.  The pack contains many other designs, some too large to fit on an A2-size card and probably better suited for a scrapbook layout.

I added dimensional touches such as thread or twine, pearls, a button and sentiments on tags.

I also created a seed head effect with yellow Liquid Pearls, on the card below.

Hope these designs have inspired you to break out some die cuts and start embellishing!

Stamps: (with sympathy) Teeny Tiny Wishes - SU; (my heart is with you) Heartfelt Phrases - Verve Paper: Basic Gray, Whisper White, Very Vanilla - SU Ink: Antique Linen - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions; vintage thread Accessories & Tools: floral die cuts - K & Co.; pearls - Recollections, Queen & Co.; tag punch - Martha Stewart; double-ended tag die - Classic Tags - Memory Box; vintage button; Modern Label punch - SU; Pale Yellow Liquid Pearls - Ranger

Roses for Baby

Oh, yeah, baby girl cards are sooooo much more fun to do than for the little guys!  I played with some retired Girls' Paperie patterned papers for this sweet card.

The sentiment is by Fiskars / All Year Greetings.  It nestled just perfectly inside that circle punch.

I'm so glad you dropped in today.  Till next time!

Stamps: All Year Greetings - Fiskars Paper: pale peachy pink; patterns - Girls' Paperie Ink: Frayed Burlap - Ranger; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: Cameo Beige - Hug Snug - Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: circle, scalloped circle punches; paper flowers - Inspired By Stamping; pearls - Queen & Co.; Large Scallop die - MFT/Dienamics

Mini Clipboard, courtesy of the hardware store

I debated sharing this on my blog, because it's old, as in 2011 old.  :-)  I made this mini clipboard as a magazine submission, but it was not chosen, and I've long since mailed it to a friend.

I used a small sample of kitchen/bathroom countertop material that you find at your hardware store as my base, and covered it with papers and die cuts.

The shiny binder clip from Staples was soaked in saltwater for a few days until it developed this beautiful patina.  I tied on a couple of ribbon and lace scraps.

The ephemera is pretty much just from ColorBok's Flea Market collection, and a few bits from K & Co.

Thanks for letting me share this oldie-but-goodie with you!

Paper: Flea Market - Colorbok; Very Vanilla - SU  Ink: Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap - Ranger Fibers: assorted ribbon scraps Accessories & Tools: die cuts - Flea Market / Colorbok; egg die cut, gold clear corner die cut - K & Co.; Dotted Scallop punch - EK Success; binder clip - Staples; typewriter letter stickers

A Dose of Spring

This is my second post today.  Please click HERE for 'Bubbly For The Mr. & Mrs.'

After a snow-filled winter, I need a dose of color, a dose of brightness, a dose of flowers!

I recently got new Verve goodies in the mail (I won a gift certificate!), and didn't waste much time getting them inky.  These bold, bright zinnias from Brighter Days are the perfect way to enter Verve's Floral Fantasy February Inspiration Challenge.

Sure had a hard time photo-editing these two pics and having them look just alike.  The flowers are pinker in real life.  Can you see the drops of 'dew' I added to them?  (Glossy Accents)

Hope you're all keeping warm wherever you are.  Lots of snow is in the news these days, except in Sochi, Russia, where they could use some.  ;-)

Stamps: Brighter Days (flowers), Small Phrases - Verve Paper: Pink Passion, Baja Breeze, Whisper White - SU; pattern - Wild Raspberry - K & Co. Ink: Menento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: hot pink satin ruffle - Webster's Pages; green leaf trim - Really Reasonable Ribbon Accessories & Tools: Modern Label Punch - SU; pink gem - Queen & Co.; Copic markers; Glossy Accents - Ranger

Bubbly for the Mr. & Mrs.

This is one of two posts today.  Please click HERE for 'A Dose of Spring.'

Break out the champagne!  It's a couple of clean-and-simple wedding cards.

For both cards, I used a pretty piece of designer paper from a discontinued K & Co. pack called Elegance, and some fun stamps from Hero Arts Best Wishes.  There's some Smooch Ink shimmer on the champagne glasses, too.

The one below is VERY clean and simple.  I know there are brides and grooms out there who like a streamlined look, so this was created with them in mind.

Keeping the post short and sweet today.  I do hope you are having a lovely day!

Stamps: Best Wishes - Hero Arts Paper: Going Gray - SU; Elegance Designer paper - K & Co; white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: rhinestones, pearls - Queen & Co.; Copic markers; Smooch ink - white

Thank You, Hallmark

This is my second post for today.  Please click HERE for 'Love On The Line.'

The deadline is fast approaching to play in the challenge at Wplus9, 'Step It Up.'  

I just received new Wplus9 goodies in the mail the other day, before our big snowstorm hit (we got 10" here).  That meant I just had to play with them while we were snowed in.  ;-)

Fresh Cut Florals has been on my Wish List for some time.  Finally, I've got it!  The sentiment and leaves, stamped in Sage Shadow, are from that set.  The clear die floral die cut is, I believe, from Martha Stewart.  My daughter had a pack of these and while cleaning out her room, donated them to me.  Yay!

This hand-trimmed butterfly is from a Hallmark card that I held on to, because the 'flies were too beautiful to throw out.  There's texture and glimmer on here, and it's hard capturing that in a photo.

A couple more challenges to put this into:  CASE Study.  

I liked the general layout, and followed along with that....which leads me to a similar layout at Fusion.  I was inspired both by the sketch AND the inspo picture:

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!  Oh, and if you're interested, the majority of commenters voted the top photo in THIS post as their favorite choice out of the two.  Thank you for letting me know, everyone!

Stamps: Fresh Cut Florals - Wplus9 Paper: Pretty In Pink, Whisper White - SU; polka dots - rescued from somewhere Ink: Sage Shadow - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: pink twine - American Crafts Accessories & Tools: butterfly - Hallmark card; clear floral die cut, Double Arches punch  - Martha Stewart; pink gem - Queen & Co.

Love On The Line

This is one of two posts today.  Please click HERE to see 'Thank You, Hallmark.'

Happy Valentine's Day!

This 'laundry line' makes one thing very clear:  love is in the air.  I added no sentiment inside, because this could be used for so many different occasions/reasons.

The individual letters (from Inspired By Stamping) were stamped on die cuts and strung across some pretty damask paper (on clearance!) from Recollections.

lOvE making little clusters!  Some found burlap, white flowers and pearls combine for this one.

Entering this at City Crafter...yes, another entry!

When I was little, we had no clothes dryer, and I remember my mother hanging our laundry on the line in the backyard.  One vivid memory:  I was about 4 or 5 years old, and my mom asked me to watch my baby brother (maybe 1 1/2 years old at the time) as we played in the sandbox and Mom hung up bed sheets. Guess I didn't do a very good job of watching my little bro, because he fell on the edge of the wooden sandbox and started bleeding right above his eye.  Another inch lower, and he would've lost that eye.  We all rushed to the hospital, and my brother received stitches.  What a day it was!

Stamps: Fancy Alphabet - IBS Paper: Vintage Cream, white - PTI; damask - Recollections Ink: Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain - Ranger; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers:  twine - Creative Impressions; burlap Accessories & Tools: Labels 25 die - Spellbinders; large white flower - Recollections; small white flower; pearls - Queen & Co.; Classic Tags die - Memory Box

Paris Love

Here is one of the cards that I took to the bridal shop to sell.  I left the interior without a sentiment, so I'm not pigeon-holing myself into just a certain category.  When it comes to love, the lines are blurred.  This could be a shower card, meant for just the bride, or it could be a wedding card for the happy couple.  It might even be good as an anniversary card, especially if the bride and groom took a trip to Paris for their honeymoon.

I used an Eiffel Tower page from the Lost & Found Madison Avenue - My Mind's Eye paper pack.  I added a stamped image of a chandelier (touched with Bisque Liquid Pearls), two sentiments and that curlicue thing on top of the chandelier - all from Inspired By Stamping.  The rose and little leaves were dabbed with Glossy Accents glue to create 'raindrops'.

This stamped sentiment goes SO well with the paper, doesn't it?  When you think about it, the paper really did all the work here.  Take that away, and I've got 4 stamps and a flower.

Entering this at City Crafter challenge, where they'd like to see a project with the word 'love' on it.

I'm so glad you popped in today!  May your day be beautiful, mon ami (my friend).

Stamps: Paris - Inspired By Stamping Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI; Lost & Found Madison Ave - My Mind's Eye Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Bisque Liquid Pearls, Glossy Accents glue - Ranger; flower, little leaves - Inspired By Stamping

XOXO

I'm still making a few Valentines here.  Last night I whipped up a few of these (going against my usual 'one only of each design' creed), because they are so easy.

I found some red embossed cardstock in one of those $1.00 scrap bags I used to buy.  I punched some hearts out of it, and added green leaf ribbon that I won eons ago from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  A little 'xoxo' sentiment from Hero Arts and that was it!

You'll think I'm kooky, but I could not decide which picture to place in the post, so I included both!  The top one has a cooler temp, and the bottom one is warmer.  I played with the color tools on my photo-editing software, GIMP (it's free), and achieved both filters that way.  Which do you prefer?

I'm entering at Addicted To CAS:  'LOVE'

and the Ribbon Reel's last challenge (oh no!), 'Be My Valentine.'  Inspiration photo:

And though it might be a long shot, I'm taking a chance at Less Is More too.  This week it's One Layer, Anything Goes.  Is my heart a layer?  Or just an embellishment?  Hmmm.  Not sure what the judges will think!

Stamps: Everyday Sayings - Hero Arts Paper: white - PTI; Real Red Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: green leaf ribbon - Really Reasonable Ribbon Accessories & Tools: corner rounder punch - Fiskars; Petals A Plenty embossing folder, Full Heart punch - SU

Toasted Love

It's almost Valentine's Day, and so the perfect time to share this love card that didn't make it into a magazine.

All the images and sentiments are from Lawn Fawn's Love 'N Breakfast.  Cute, cute, cute!  I love that company's stamps.

Lots of paper piecing was done here.  Even the toast has a subtle pattern.

Thanks for visiting!  Have a wonderful day.   :-)

Stamps: Love 'N Breakfast - Lawn Fawn Paper: white - PTI; assorted patterns - K & Co. Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Copic markers; corner punch - SU

A Lifting Valentine

This is a Valentine of a different sort, I suppose:  no typical Valentine's Day sentiments to be found on this card.  It's rather a combination of the holiday, and one of gratitude to a friend who always lifts my spirits.

Inspiration for this card comes from the Verve February Diva Dare challenge - 'Perk Up', combined with the Viva La Verve Sketch and Color Challenge - Week 1 of February.  

The sentiment is from Verve's Brighter Days - lo-ov-ing this set.   The way the fonts are arranged, and that each phrase is vertical, is refreshing.

It's rare that I like to gab on the phone (might be the introvert in me), but with this particular friend, it's easy. I'm always uplifted, and leave the conversation with a lighter heart.  Hoping this different kind of Valentine will 'perk up' her day.

I used some polka-dotted clouds from Inspired By Stamping / The Sky's The Limit, and touched the dots with Glossy Accents.

I heard some rain and snow were expected in some areas on the West Coast of the US.  Hallelujah!  That makes me SO happy.  The droughts have been just terrible, and I prayed that rain would be sent their way. Love it when prayers are answered.  :-)

Stamps: Brighter Days - Verve; The Sky's The Limit (clouds) - IBS Paper: white - PTI; patterns - Lovely - Authentique; Basic Gray - SU Ink: Antique Linen, Pumice Stone - Ranger; Pink Pirhouette, Going Gray - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: pink ribbon - Stamp Simply Ribbon Store Accessories & Tools: White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; Petite Ovals Large, Fancy Tags Three dies - Spellbinders; pearls - Queen & Co.