Clean, Simple, Glittery Butterfly

I'm preparing some cards to give as a birthday gift to a loved one.  A special request from this birthday girl is to have some simple birthday cards that don't require special postage or padded envelopes.  This card fits the bill:

Had to add some iridescent glitter to the Lost Coast Designs butterfly.  It looked too plain without it.  The sentiment is from Inspired By Stamping's Fancy Sentiments.

Sorry to bombard you with a lot of posts lately.  I have SO many creations to share.  And the Inspired By Stamping October release happens in a couple of days, so lots more posting there.

So glad you dropped by today!



Stamps: Butterflies - Lost Coast Designs; Fancy Sentiments - IBS Paper: white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Copic markers; iridescent glitter

Birthday Tulip

Purple, brown and green....I rather like this color combo.  I took my colors from the piece of patterned paper in the background ( DCWV's Chateau Lavender) and built from there.  It didn't hurt that I had this Flourishes tulip (Thank You stamp set) already in my box of colored images, and it was purple!

The sentiment is from Inspired By Stamping's Creative Tags set.

This card is part of the birthday gift for a special loved one, who requested lots of birthday cards to give away.  Hope she likes this!

Stamps: Creative Tags - IBS; Thank You - Flourishes Paper: pale lavender - Mark's Finest Papers; Chocolate Chip, brown damask - SU; green dots and post card ephemera patterns - Chateau Lavender - DCWV Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: green lace - Webster's Pages Accessories & Tools: Fleur de Lis Rectangle, circle dies - Spellbinders; Copic markers; White Opal Liquid Pearls

Luxe Wedding Card for a Friend's Challenge

My friend Sindhu of Trapped In Craft is celebrating her first wedding anniversary this month.  Happy Anniversary, my friend!!  I love her idea of hosting a month-long challenge to honor this special occasion.  The theme is Wedding/Anniversary using Black & White/Cream with Lace.

I cut into my hoarded stash of Anna Griffin flocked damask paper.  Sigh.  Love this stuff.  My friend Rebecca sent me some last year, and I'm really trying to make it last and last.  I mounted it to a pale, silvery gray card base and added some GORGEOUS black rosette lace.  Under that is a peek of crochet trim from Inspired By Stamping, and a sentiment from Verve.

Would you like to join in Sindhu's fun?  You have until the end of October to submit your creation at her blog.  I'm sure it would help to have an anniversary/wedding card added to your stash!

Stamps: Happily Ever After - Verve Paper: flocked damask - Anna Griffin; Vintage Cream, Soft Stone - PTI Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: black rosettes ribbon - American Crafts; Scallop Border Crochet trim - Inspired By Stamping Accessories & Tools: pearls - Recollections; Classic Tags die - Memory Box

Special To Me

Can you see the blue flowers on the patterned paper, in a tone-on-tone effect?  They almost look like dandelions, but they are Agapanthus Long by Stampendous.  Some time ago, I had a card published in Paper Crafts Magazine using a Stampendous sentiment.  They graciously offered an incentive for that, and I chose the Agapanthus stamp plus another as-yet-uninked goody.

You can see the flowers better in the photo below.  They're nice and subtle, allowing the sentiment (Hero Arts) to shine.  See the little Liquid Pearl I used for the "i"?

I'm happy to have used up some more patterned paper, plus some Groovy Guava cardstock.  It was never a color I totally warmed up to, but I like it in this combo here.

Hope you have a beautiful day!

Stamps: Agapanthus Long - Stampendous; Year Round Sentiments - Hero Arts Paper: Groovy Guava, patterns - SU Ink: Taken With Teal - SU; Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions; orange rick-rack - SU Accessories & Tools: corner rounder punch - Fiskars; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger

You're Wonderful

Hello!  I'm back with another card that I made back in the summer.

For whatever reason (I'll blame it on the pain meds I was on at the time I made this), the lighting in my photos really stinks.  Even with photo editing.  It was the best I could do, and it is not up to snuff in my book.

The big, beautiful sentiment is from Inspired By Stamping's Big Treasures.  I like how it fills in this panel.  K & Co. stickers came to the rescue and provided dimension and beauty in a jiffy.

That's it for me.  I hope your day is a beautiful one!

Stamps: Big Treasures - Inspired By Stamping Paper: Blushing Bride patterns - SU; white - PTI Ink: Versafine Onyx Black Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug; twine - Creative Impressions Accessories: K & Co. stickers; pearls - Recollections 

Friends Forever

A couple of years ago, I purchased some Crafty Secrets sheets of vintage images for a few bucks each.  I was loathe to cut into them, and hoarded them.  When I was organizing my attic studio, they were unearthed and I thought, "Oh, yeah!  I forgot about these!"

In an "Aha!" moment recently, I thought about photocopying those images, thus stretching their use.  Duh!  Here's one of the images on this card:

I used some cereal box chipboard to punch a heart, then covered it in beautiful champagne glitter from Stampin' Up!

Have a wonderful day, and I'm so glad you stopped by.

Paper: Certainly Celery, Crumb Cake, green pattern - SU; white - PTI Ink: Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain - Ranger Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions Accessories & Tools: Full Heart Punch, champagne glitter - SU; Dotted Scallop punch - EK Success; Persian Motifs die - Spellbinders; Lemon Liquid Pearls - Ranger; clip art - Crafty Secrets

Make Your Own Happiness

Playing with more new goodies.... :D

This pretty K & Co. rose die cut (new goody #1) needed to be the star of the show, so I chose some retired patterned paper from Stampin' Up!, a Verve sentiment from Fairy Tales, and a pearly spray on top.

Down below, a bit of crochet trim and (new goody #2) an embossing folder from Anna Griffin called Rosa.  Sigh.

Sometimes you just stand back and admire a thing you make, and I'd have to say this is one of those.  I do love it!

Stamps: Fairy Tales - Verve Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI; pink pattern - SU Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: crochet trim Accessories & Tools: pearls - Want2Scrap; flower die cut - K & Co.; Rosa embossing folder - Anna Griffin

Pink Roses For You

Hello there!  How are you today?  Doing good here....I've been walking mostly without a crutch/cane, and using my own sneaker.  Hooray!  It's been 13 weeks since surgery -- today's my anniversary, actually.  :-)  I go to physical therapy twice a week.  Those PTs are amazing, if you ask me.  They've helped me tremendously with my progress.  Can't sing their praise high enough.

Okay, how about a card?  

Lots of Inspired By Stamping goodness on here...Medium Pink Flowers, Scallop Border Crochet Trim, a sentiment from Beautiful Iris.

The embossing folder is one of my newest acquisitions -- Aviary by Anna Griffin.  Love!

Thank you so much for dropping by today!

Stamps: Beautiful Iris - IBS Paper: Sahara Sand - SU; Soft Stone - PTI Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug; Scallop Border Crochet Trim - IBS Accessories & Tools: Aviary embossing folder - Anna Griffin; roses - IBS; doily - Wilton; pearl - Recollections

Quoting Winnie The Pooh

When I was young, my brother and I were taken to Sears and we were each allowed to pick out a Winnie The Pooh stuffed toy.  I loved my Pooh bear so much, and kissed his pom pom nose every day.

My enchantment with Pooh began back then, and he still makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.  When I discovered that Verve had this Smallest Things stamp, I just HAD to have it.  The butterfly stickers are from K & Co.

I'm not sure about my brother, but I still have my Winnie The Pooh bear.  His pom pom nose is now upturned from too many kisses, and his happy smile tells me that he enjoyed every one of them!

Stamps: Smallest Things Plain Jane - Verve Paper: white - PTI; light blue pattern - K & Co. Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: butterfly stickers - K & Co.; Decorative Doily die - My Favorite Things; houndstooth embossing folder - SU; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; corner rounder punch - Fiskars

Paper Secrets Sketch for Baby

Inspired By Stamping is sponsoring the September challenges at Paper Secrets, and the ladies from our team are hopping in to play.  This week's sketch is so fun!  Check it out below my project.

When I saw the little banners on the sample, I knew I needed to use Whimsical Banners.  It quickly grew into a festive baby card.

The two-part sentiment, baby bottle and tiny blossoms are from Oh, Baby!

If you'd like a chance to win goodies from Inspired By Stamping, come link up your creation using this sketch!

Stamps: Oh, Baby!, Whimsical Banners - Inspired By Stamping Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI; pink pattern - Sparkling Spring - Prima Ink: Soft Sky, Pretty In Pink, Crumb Cake - SU Fibers: white ribbon Accessories & Tools: White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger

Whoo Hoo Wednesday - Fall For You

Welcome to my tutorial for this week’s Whoo Hoo Wednesday!  This week, our Contest theme is “Fall/Autumn”. 

To create my autumn card, I used some leaves from the Happy Fall set.  On a piece of mustard yellow cardstock, a medium-sized oak leaf was stamped in a regular pattern. Using a tiny maple leaf, fill in the areas between the larger oak leaves. 

I love to stamp on patterned paper.  I picked a green striped design and stamped tiny oak leaves and larger dotted maple leaves in a leafy green shade.  

The two pieces of stamped papers were assembled onto a card front.  I grabbed some Scallop Border Crochet Trim to cover the seam where the papers meet.  All –purpose, water soluble craft glue is my go-to adhesive for this sort of thing.

 Twine is one of my favorite fibers, and reminds me of the rustic beauty of Autumn.    I wrapped the twine several times around my fingers to create a multi-looped bow.   

Wrap the twine several times around the card front and tie a knot.  Lay the looped bow on top of the knot, and secure with another piece of twine.

On a scrap piece of white cardstock, stamp a polka-dot maple leaf, trim, and distress the edges with ink.

In the next two pictures, I am sharing my method of securing bows once they are tied on to a card.

Squeeze a bit of glue onto a piece of skinny cardstock (I always find many of these in my craftroom trash can).

Slide this under the center of the bow and wipe onto the knot.  Gently place bow back down and press for a few moments with your finger.

Forgive me for skipping a step, sort of.  I layered some awesome leaves from IBS along the edge of the Crochet Lace.  Then the little dotted maple was placed on top.  In fact, when the card was complete, it still needed a little somethin’, so I added one more stamped leaf from Happy Fall, and gems, too.

To balance the cluster of leaves, I added a framed sentiment from Cherish.  Ta-da!  It’s finished.  Thank you so much for checking out my tutorial!

 Thanks for popping in!

Hello, Love!

Hello!  I've got some Inspired By Stamping goodness to share today.  I admit to being a bit in love with this 'Love' card.

I stuck to a clean palette with just three colors in it:  green, white and pink.  The LOVE sentiment has a nice, big, chunky font that works so well on patterned papers.

Roses, roses....they make me swoon!  Haven't had great success with them in my garden, but on paper I am doing just fine.  ;-)

These are the sets I used.  Click on the set names to link directly to the store:
 

Flowers Bloom

Vintage Sayings

Creative Tags

Thanks so much for joining me today!



Stamps: Flowers Bloom, Vintage Sayings, Creative Tags - Inspired By Stamping Paper: white - PTI; patterns - SU Ink: Crumb Cake - SU; Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko Fibers: white seam binding - Hug Snug Accessories & Tools: doily die cut - Martha Stewart; pearls - Queen & Co.; Copic markers; Ticket punch - EK Success; button, thread

Leaves of Gratitude

On the day I write this, we're experiencing hotter than normal temps where I live.  It was 90 degrees (F) today, and will be the next two days.  Sure doesn't feel like a real Autumn yet!  It is in my mind, just not outside my door.  :D

Here's a real Fall-like card to share, using new-to-me My Favorite Things stamps:  Thankful Leaves.  I trimmed them by hand, those leaves, since I do not own a Silhouette machine.  Ahh, someday.

The Houndstooth background stamp is by the now-closed Market Street Stamps.  I miss them and their awesome background designs!

How's the weather where you live?

Stamps:  Thankful Leaves - My Favorite Things; Houndstooth - Market Street Stamps Paper: white - PTI Ink: Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip - SU; Versafine Onyx Black- Tsukineko Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions Accessories & Tools: Ribbon Banner die - Spellbinders

Hello, Birdie!

This sweet little bird from Natural Beauty, an older set from Stampin' Up!, was waiting in my box of stamped images.  I colored him with Copics, trimmed with a die cut, and stamped a sentiment from Inspired By Stamping's Creative Tags in the corner.  

That was layered onto two more die cuts, and the frames decorated with Liquid Pearls and tied with some twine.

One of my fave background stamps is also an old one from Stampin' Up!:  Filigree.  After assembling two pieces of patterned papers from K & Co., I stamped Filigree in Old Olive over both of them.  You can see it best in the photo below, since it's not as visible on the brown striped paper.

Thank you so much for your visit!

Stamps: Filigree background, Natural Beauty - SU; Creative Tags - Inspired By Stamping Paper: Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip - SU; green pattern, brown stripe - Julianne - K & Co.; white - PTI Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko; Old Olive - SU Fibers: twine - Creative Impressions Accessories & Tools: Bisque Liquid Pearls - Ranger; Copic markers; Fancy Labels 2 die - IBS; Floral Ovals, Labels Eight die - Spellbinders