A Happy Bluebird

It feels good to finally get around to inking some stamps received long ago.  Owl Be Thinking Of You from The Craft's Meow was an incentive set for me, after I'd had a card published using their stamps.  This set has been in my stash for a few years now, and, well, here is its debut on my blog!

I made this for a dear friend's birthday several months ago.

The sentiment is from an {old} Close To My Heart set, Flower Pot.  A friend gave me that set, when she was paring down her stash.  It's really cute, and I'm glad I hung on to it - even after paring down my own stash a year ago.

Thanks so much for coming by today!  I love when you visit.

Stamps: sentiment - Flower Pot - Close To My Heart; tree, bird, birdhouse - Owl Be Thinking Of You - The Craft's Meow Paper: blue and green patterns - SU; white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions Accessories & Tools: pink gem - Queen & Co.; Copic markers

Seize The Sketch #21 reminder - Yum Yum!

Did you have a nice weekend?  We enjoyed some pleasant weather, ate our dinners outside, and worked around the house.  I also went to the gym:  my fourth visit since last year's foot surgery.  Yay!  Time to shed the pounds that have crept back on.  :/

I had time to craft, too, and made a reminder card for the current Seize The Sketch challenge.  I used this cute image from a friend.  She stamped a bunch of different things on little cardstock bits and mailed them to me.  This My Favorite Things image is called Hello, Cupcake.  My 15 YO thinks the little girl looks scary.  LOL

Our current sketch:

As a cherry on top of the cupcake, I used a new-to-me Twinkle Goosebump by Queen & Co.  Looks delish, doesn't it?

And down at the bottom of the card, I used a stamp from Too Terrific Tags (Stampin' Up!) that has never seen ink.  Check out what I did with the little girl's dress too:  after coloring it with shades of blue-green Copic markers, I used a Colorless Blender to create a little scallop-and-dot pattern.  Sweet!

I hope you get a chance to play along.  Just click HERE for all the details!

Stamps: Hello Cupcake - My Favorite Things; Too Terrific Tags - SU Paper: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Cool Caribbean (?), Ruby Red, polka dot pattern - SU; white - PTI Ink: Close To Cocoa - SU Fibers: chocolate brown twine - American Crafts Accessories & Tools: small, large Tag punches - SU; blue rhinestones, red Twinkle Goosebump - Queen & Co.

A Rusty Seagull for Father's Day

Hi there!  Funny title for this post, eh?  I happened to have this bird already punched out from another project and decided to create a nautical card using him.  And so, he became a seagull.  First-ever of his kind, perhaps.

I intended to use only a couple of white clouds, but one mistake after another kept happening, and I needed a good cover-up.  One such blue cloud hovers too closely to the sentiment, but it was either that, or an ugly glue spot.

My dock could use a bit more work...it's rather crude.  Good thing I don't build docks with wood!

Have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Happy Phrases - Verve Paper: Bashful Blue, Cajun Craze, Really Rust, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, blue stripe - SU Ink: Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Night of Navy - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: Navy twine - SU Accessories & Tools: Swirl border punch - EK Success; Herringbone embossing folder - Cuttlebug; Cloud 1 & 2 dies - PTI; Extra Large Bird Punch - SU; marker

Happy Spring (before it's summer)!

Yikes!  Spring will be over before you know it.  I wanted to share this card with you while it is officially still Spring....and not yet summer.

It's super-simple, and employs a little bit of paper-piecing.  The vase and sentiment are from Inspired By Stamping, and the leaves from Papertrey Ink's Doodlie Do (what a fun, FUN set.)

Okay, there!  Now Summer can come!

Stamps: vase, sentiment - Spring Blossoms - Inspired By Stamping; leaves - Doodlie Do - Papertrey Ink Paper: floral pattern - My Mind's Eye Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Copic markers

Seize The Sketch #21 - Sweet Raspberries

It's my official start date at Seize The Sketch!  Yay!  You'll love the nice, easy sketch we have to work with these next two weeks, courtesy of design team member Lori Turner.

Sooooo many options with this sketch, right?  I fancied-up my version with a pretty embossing folder on the card base, then topped it with a few things.  The little kraft envelope is a pre-cut diecut from Stampin' Up! (it's pretty old), and I added a smidgen of gathered lace inside.  On top of the envelope, I used a bit of a Hallmark card that came just like this....rounded corners and bow untouched...but I added a button.

Inside that Hallmark card was this lone raspberry image.  I punched it out, added a twine bow and sentiment from Flourishes' Let Them Eat Cake.  You can peek inside the card and see I've stamped a doily to coordinate with the front.

I hope I'll see your creation over at Seize The Sketch!  Click HERE for all the details.  =)

Stamps: Let Them Eat Cake - Flourishes Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions; lace Accessories & Tools: circle punch - SU; small 1/8" circle punch - Fiskars; Heart & Vines embossing folder - Sizzix; kraft envelope - SU; bits and pieces of Hallmark greeting card; green button - SU; doily - Wilton

Bits & Pieces Make Skinny Birthday Wishes

Happy Saturday, and to you in the USA, Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  Have any special plans?  My husband will be putting up our pool, and we're having mulch delivered, so I know my time will be spent outdoors.

I've got a card to share that is really simple, and I almost felt like I was 'cheating' by making it.  All the precut pieces of patterned paper and cardstock were in a little kit from one of those $1.00 Scrap Bags I get once in a while (from my Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Gail).    All I did was add some heart-shaped confetti, a rose, and a sentiment.

You can see the confetti better in the picture below.  The sentiment is from Daily Designs Sentiments / Papertrey Ink.

I wish you a marvelous weekend, and an even better week ahead!  Thanks for coming by.  =)

Stamps: Daily Designs Sentiments - PTI Paper: Sahara Sand, Pretty In Pink, dots and floral patterns - SU Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: white satin ribbon rose - Darice; iridescent heart confetti - stash

CASEing a Crafter: Bullseye

Do you ever find yourself wanting to CASE a card you've seen, because it's just too cute (or pretty) not to? That's the situation I encountered recently, after re-reading an older issue of Card Creations by Paper Crafts Magazine.  

My friend Tenia of Jazzy Paper Designs had a card similar to mine below published in that issue.  She used a Market Street Stamps set called Hit The Mark, which I own, too.  I had won the set a few years ago, and never quite knew how to use it.  I loved Tenia's published card, and was inspired to create this:

I added a woodgrain embossing folder, and some speckles from Itty Bitty Backgrounds (Stampin' Up!). Other than those changes, it's a very Tenia card.  =)

Thank you, Tenia, for your inspiration!  You rock!

Stamps: Itty Bitty Backgrounds - SU; Hit The Mark - Market Street Stamps Paper: white, Creamy Caramel - SU Ink: Close To Cocoa, Real Red, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Copic markers; Woodgrain embossing folder - Sizzix/Tim Holtz

Birthday Wishes for a Guy

Hello!  I guess you could say I'm on something of a roll with guy cards lately (check here and here).  Seems the more clean-and-simple the design, the easier it is to create for men.  Today's card happens to be a birthday one, but you could easily swap out the sentiment for a Father's Day one.

Still loving my Extra Large Bird Punch by Stampin' Up! after all these years.  The foliage comes from that, done up in two shades of rust.  A tiny button, tied with vintage thread, tops them off.

For a bit more interest along the bottom, I used a swirly embossing folder (a really skinny one!).

And that's it!  I am super-pleased with how this came out.  Thanks so much for your visit today!

Stamps: Think Big Favorites #16 - PTI Paper: kraft - PTI; Cajun Craze, Really Rust, patterns - SU Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: vintage thread Accessories & Tools: Extra Large Bird punch - SU; button; Organic Flourish embossing folder - Cuttlebug

Seize The Sketch #20 - a card for dad

Well, hello there!  I thought for sure I'd kick off my new Seize The Sketch design team assignments with the May 27th sketch, but here I am with a card for the current one!  Glad I found time to play.

Here's the sketch:

I used a strip of an antique (vintage?) book page behind the espresso panel, and a couple of retired Stampin' Up! patterned papers.  'dad' is from Lizzie Anne Designs Monthly Mix May 2010 'Dream Big' collection.

I intended to make two identical cards, but don't you know...a mistake happened.  Grrrr.  I trimmed one leafy patterned strip too small, which meant I needed to cover up the gap with skinny cardstock strips.  I chose blue to pull out one of the stripes from the patterned paper, but am not sure I like the color here.

Inside both cards, I stamped a Monkey Paw Fern from Rubber Stampede in deep green ink.  The same image graces the envelopes, too (not pictured).

There's still time to play!  Link up your card HERE before May 25th to enter.

Thanks so much for your visit today.  I really appreciate it!

Stamps: sentiment - Monthly Mix May 2010 - 'Dream Big' - Lizzie Anne Designs; Monkey Paw Fern - Rubber Stampede Paper: Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, leaves and stripes - SU; vintage book page Ink: Always Artichoke - SU Fibers: Always Artichoke grosgrain ribbon - SU; burlap Accessories & Tools: circle die - Spellbinders; Fancy Label 2 die - Inspired By Stamping

Springtime Sprig

Hello all!  Thank you SO much for the wonderful comments about me joining the Seize The Sketch design team! I can't wait to begin.  =)

It's been ages since I used Tres Chic background stamp from Stampin' Up!  I let it drift off the edges so I could enter Addicted To CAS's "Off The Edge" challenge.

This Spellbinders Fantastic Flourish One die reminds me of a sprig of mistletoe at Christmastime.  With these colors, and some amethyst gems, I think of it as mistletoe for spring!  "Oh, hubby, where ARE you?..."

The high school prom is this Friday evening, and my 15 YO is so excited.  I already showed you her dress, and I'll make sure to get pictures of her all dolled-up on Prom Night.  =)

Have a great weekend!

Stamps: Tres Chic - Stampin' Up! Paper: Perfect Plum, Mellow Moss - SU Ink: Perfect Plum, Mellow Moss, Elegant Eggplant - SU Fibers: white satin ribbon Accessories & Tools: Fantastic Flourish One - Spellbinders; amethyst gems - Queen & Co.

Happy news =)

Hello everyone!  Just wanted to share some happy crafting news with you.  =)

I'm joining the design team at Seize the Sketch, run by my sweet, talented and fabulous friend, Lesley Croghan.  STS is a bi-weekly sketch challenge, with a team of oh-so-talented crafters providing inspiration.

I'll begin my DT duties on May 27th, but if you would like to play along with the current sketch, here it is:

A huge thank you to Lesley for asking me to be on the team.  So excited to be part of the fun!!

Pinecones & fern for the guys

Let's hear it for the guys in our lives!  Father's Day will be here next month, and my husband's birthday just recently passed.  I had to put on the "masculine card-crafting" hat, and here's what I came up with:

Super-neutral, super simple designs for these two.  I used Hero Arts Manuscript Background, then topped it with a pinecone in the card above, and a fern in the card below.  A big birthday sentiment from Papertrey Ink and a bit of twine were finishing touches for these cards.

On the next card, my 12 YO told me it looks like it needs a sentiment.  The perfect symmetry was hard to mess with though, and I only allowed a small bow off to one side.  No sentiment on the front.

With the Liquid Pearls, bow and shimmer from the golden cardstock, I'm not sure if we can EXACTLY call this a masculine card.  More along neutral lines, maybe?

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend.  Sure enjoyed mine.  Saturday was spent switching over winter to summer clothes for me and my girls, and we purged a lot of "little girl" clothing.  (excuse me, but we're a big middle schooler now...don't want to wear childish clothing.)  My sister is getting three huge bags of clothes for her own girls as a result.  ;-)

I also washed windows, and though that sounds as boring as watching paint dry, it gave me pleasure to look through crystal-clear glass once again.  I'm weird like that.  Ha ha.

See you tomorrow with a happy announcement.  =)

Ivory Cards:
Stamps: Manuscript Background, Big Pine Cone - Hero Arts;  fern - Organic Grace - SU Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI Ink: Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions Accessories & Tools: scoring tool

Green Card:
Stamps: Big Pine Cone - Hero Arts Paper: Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, gold, Crumb Cake - SU Ink: Chocolate Chip - SU; Walnut Stain - Ranger Fibers: Argentina seam binding - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: Finial Press embossing folder - SU; oval dies - Spellbinders; Champagne Liquid Pearls - Ranger

A Crown for Mother's Day

I've left my favorite Mother's Day creation for last this week.  :-D  Well, you know, there's the Eiffel Tower, and pearls, and a lacy stamp, and roses, and that beautiful crown.  What's not to love?

I used My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Blush patterned papers, then stamped a lacy border across the top.

I've been getting good use out of Queen Bee by Pink Paislee this Mother's Day season. LOVE the crown.

The sentiment is from Queen Bee, too.

I wish you a most beautiful Mother's Day this weekend, my friends!

Stamps: Lace Border - Sweet Stamp Shop; Queen Bee - Pink Paislee Paper: patterns - Lost & Found Blush - My Mind's Eye; Vintage Cream - PTI Ink: Crumb Cake - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: roses - Inspired By Stamping; pearls; rhinestone