Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Mixed Media Bear & Flowers

Materials needed:
Regarding Dahlias stamp set (#130327)
Gingham Garden patterned paper (#129310)
Lost Lagoon card stock
Lost Lagoon In Color ribbon
Fizzy Moon from Daisy Trails
Corner Rounder
Night of Navy card stock
Crushed Curry ink
Felt flowers
Brads

*****I apoligize for not giving you details directions on the last few cards. I've had a combination of being busy getting things ready for the fall kick off of our area Operation Christmas Child, recovering from a medium level surgery(not life or death but still takes recovery time), problems with artiritis in my fingers, and just generally feeling rotten. I hope that you this is enough for right now to keep you coming back. If there is something that you see here that you don't understand how to do, leave a comment and I will try to explain things to you. I'm not trying to leave you high & dry, it's just been a difficult summer.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Bearly Sunflowers

Materials needed:
Sunflower background stamp (#123608)
Bloom with Hope stamp set (#133952, hostess )
Summer Sun marker
Closer to Cocoa marker
Always Aritchoke marker
Marina Mist card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
White card stock
Night of Navy card stock
Marina Mist ink pad
Daffodil Delight Grosgrain Stitched ribbon (#126872)
Scallop Oval punch
Fizzy Moon graphic from Daisy Trails
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

Friday, July 25, 2014

Hugs

Materials needed:
Watercolor pencils
Orchid Opulence ink
Wild Wasabi card stock
White card stock
Shades of Spring patterned paper (#117160)
Framelits Labels Collection dies (#125598)
Scallop Border punch
5/8" Organza white ribbon (#114319) about 12"
Word Window punch
Stampin' Dimensionals

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Be the Star


Materials needed:
Be the Star stamp set (#1357340
Star Framelits dies (#133723)
Marina Mist card stock
Night of Navy card stock
White card stock
Pacific Point ink
Summer Sun ink
Raspberry Ripple ink


Monday, July 21, 2014

Blooming Birthday

Here is a femine cards made largely with old, retired or left over materials. Of course, you can always use new materials for your cards, but all those things you've been saving can make great cards too.

Materials needed:
Bloom with Hope stamp set (hostess, # 133952)
The Good Shepherd patterned paper from Flair Designs 3 7/8 x 5"
Raspberry Ripple card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Certainly Celery card stock 1 3/4 x 3 7/8"
White card stock
Raspberry Ripple marker
Old Olive marker
Raspberry Ripple ink pad
Doilies (SU # 129399 or Wilton's smallest)
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)
Certainly Celery 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (#109050, retired) about 7"
Very Vintage buttons (#129327)
Glue dots

1. Cut all your papers to the sizes listed. Use the markers to ink up the flower and leaf parts on the image. On a piece of white card stock, stamp this image from the Bloom with Hope stamp. Cut it loosely around the edges.
2. Adhere the patterned paper on to the Raspberry Ripple card stock.
3. Place adhesive on the back of the ribbon. Press it over the patterned paper on the right hand side about 1/2" from the right edge. Wrap the ends around to the back of the card stock.
4. Place adhesive on the solid part of the back of the doily. Center it on the card and press it down.
5. Stamp the greeting from the Bloom with Hope stamp set with Raspberry Ripple ink on the top left side of the Certainly Celery card stock piece. Adhere this piece of card stock to the center of the doily. You  might like a slightly off center look. If so, place the card stock just below the center of the doily as I did.
6. Place Stampin' Dimensionals to the back of your stamped image. Adhere it over the ribbon and doily on the card. Place glue dots on the back of the button and press it on the bottom left side of the Certainly Celery card stock.
7. Adhere the card front to a card base. Decorate the inside as you please being sure to add a nice message either from a stamp or hand written.

Be thinking about Operation Christmas Child. I know it's still a long ways until collection week in November but if you start buying items for your shoeboxes now, you can be way ahead of the game come collection week. You  might even pack more shoeboxes this year if you start early. For more info about Operation Christmas Child, go to Samaritans Purse..
 

Friday, July 18, 2014

Simple Butterfly Flight

Some of May, all of June and into July have been very busy months and somewhat difficult. We had house repairs going on, events with Operation Christmas Child, a vacation to see grand daughter graduate high school in North Carolina, being stuck overnight because of weather in Houston, surgery and recovery. I'm looking forward to trying to figure out what "normal" is again. The recovery has been what the doctor says is expected but it's not been what I expected. I guess as you get a little older, the body doesn't want to recover quite as quickly as it used to. Oh well, I am recovering and that is what's important.

I do enjoy doing lots of layers and embellishments on my cards sometimes but other times call for sweet and simple. That's what this card is. I don't know exactly where the stamp set came from. I've had it for 2 or 3 yrs and am just getting around to using it. It's one of those acrylic or polymer sets that I picked up at a store in the area. Knowing me, it was either Hobby Lobby or Wal-Mart.


 I stamped the flight of butterflies directly onto the Lost Lagoon card stock with Primrose petals ink.
I wrapped some Primrose Petals twine around the card and tied in a square knot. I fringed out the individual strands a bit. I stamped the large butterfly on white card stock and cut it out with my scissors. I placed Stampin' Dimensionals on the back and put it over the other butterflies and the twine. Simple and easy but still a nice card.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

So Sweet Cards make a bundle

We all like to get the most for our money! I'm certainly no exception to that. I love sales. I'll buy almost anything if it's on sale....well, maybe not. That's one reason (among many) why I love Operation Christmas Child. I can buy things on sale all year round with the excuse that it's for my shoeboxes!
If you buy a paper pack, you can make dozens of cards and not have to use anything other than the paper in the pack. Of course, it's always fun to use other embellishments too. For today's cards, I'm going to show you how to make 5 different cards using very little other than the paper pack.

This paper pack is from the Paper Studio. It's called So-So-Sweet with glitter and has 3 sheets each of 20 designs. You can see that this is marked at $14.99 but I picked it up at Hobby Lobby when it was 50% off. I also used
Melon Mambo and Lost Lagoon card stock
white card stock
Word Window punch
corner rounder punch
half backed pearls
washi tape from Wal-Mart
Melon Mambo ink pad
Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set from Stampin' Up!
Doily from the baking department

Now I know that the card stock and paper pack are made by different companies but the colors still match very well. Some times all it takes is a good eye.

I cut each of the patterned papers to 4 x 5 1/4" and the solid card stocks to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2." While I used SU! card stock, the pack has a number of solid papers that would be great for a background if you don't have or don't want to use the SU! This paper pack is 8 X 8" so cutting the patterns like this, you can get 2 card from each sheet. Use the leftover pieces for decorative elements.

In this pack is a pattern that is strips. It works really well to cut the strips apart with your paper cutter. They can then be used in the same way you would use ribbons.



 
These are just a few ideas of how you can put these cards together. You could also cut out some of the butterflies and put them on top of other elements on the card. Use dimensionals to give them some dimension on the card. You also might want to curl the wings by rolling the wing tips around a pencil. They may flatten out some in the mail but it will still give them a little more dimensional look. 

On the last card, I will probably add a stamped image on white card stock to the center of the patterned paper over the doily. I could stamp a flower, butterfly or saying with Melon Mambo ink on white card stock. This might also be a nice place to put that butterfly that you cut out on dimensionals.

You can mount these card on white card stock, like I do so often, or you can use the solid card stock cut at 5 1/2 x 8 1/2" with a fold at the center for your card back. You can then place your greeting or note on the inside. I usually use the white because, IMO, it's easier to read the message that is stamped or written inside. Of course, this depends on the colors you use.

You could use any number of embellishments to add to the cards but you can made a very attractive card with just the papers in the paper pack and your imagination! Have fun!
 

Monday, July 14, 2014

Backgrounds in Circles





Materials needed:
Vintage Rose Garden stamp set by Jennifer Ellory
Cross My Heart stamp set from SU! (#126582)
Lost Lagoon card stock 4 x 5 1/4"
Daffodil Delight card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" and 1 x 5"
White card stock 3 7/8 x 5 1/8" (about)
Primrose Petals ink pad
1 3/4," 1 1/4," and 1" Circle Punches
Corner Rounder
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

1. Stamp 3 of the 2 1/4" square background stamps from the Vintage Rose Garden set in Primrose Petals ink on the white card stock.
2. Punch 3 different size cirlces in the Lost Lagoon card stock. Lay the circle punches aside. Be sure that the circles will show the background stamps. Adhere the Lost Lagoon card stock to the white stamped card stock. Be sure that the white does not show on the front side of the Lost Lagoon.
 
 
Round the corners of the Lost Lagoon card stock.
3. Stamp the birthday greeting included in the Vintage Rose stamp set on the 1" wide Daffodil Delight card stock with Primrose Petals ink.


Use your scissors to cut a triangle out of the right hand end.
4. Adhere the Lost Lagoon card stock on to the Daffodil Delight card stock. Adhere the greeting at an angle across the Lost Lagoon card stock, between the circles.
Trim the ends of the greeting off at the edge of the card stock.
5. Punch out a 1 1/4" circle of Daffodil Delight card stock. Stamp a butterfly from the Cross My Heart stamp set in Primrose Petals ink on the 1" circle that you punched out of the Lost Lagoon. Adhere the small circle on to the larger yellow circle, off centered. Place a Stampin' Dimensional on the back of the circles and adhere it to the bottom right corner of the card front.
6. Adhere the card front to a card base.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Blooming Birthday card

When I saw the "Bloom with Hope" hostess stamp set in the new SU! catalog, I knew I had to get it. So when my sweet hubby asked me what I wanted for our anniversary and my birthday (2 weeks apart), I told him money! That way I was able to order enough SU! from the new catalog that it would qualify for a party & I could get my hostess set that I wanted. I was also able to play with the new SU!Blendabilities Markers that are in the new catalog. I've been playing with them but this is the first "real" card that I've used them on. Hope you like them.


Sorry this card is sitting side ways.
 
Materials needed:
Bloom with Hope hostess stamp set (#133952)
Crisp Cantaloupe card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Lost Lagoon card stock
White card stock
Stampin' Blendabilities markers Daffodil Delight Asst. (#130998)
Color Lifter (#129369)
Memento ink pad (#132708)
Lost Lagoon 3/8" Stitched Satin ribbon (#133672)
Modern Label punch (#119849)
Framelits Labels Collection (#125598)



One cool thing about this card is that you can use it for more than one occassion. The stamp set has stamps for both birthday and sympathy. I think it will work for either one. Here is the card with the sympathy greeting.

 
It's easy to see what to do to build this card. If you have never used the blendable alcohol ink markers, you may need to practice some before you actually place it on a card or project. With this one, at first I colored the center section (the seeds) the same color as the flower. I didn't like that so I went over it with the light Pumpkin Pie marker. I wasn't sure how it would come out but I think it did ok. 
 

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Spinner Anniversary Card


 
Materials needed:
 
Daffodil Delight card stock 6 x 6"
Rich Razzleberry patterned paper 5 3/4 x 5 3/4" and 5 1/2 x 5 /2"
Rich Razzleberry card stock
Rich Razzleberry ink pad
White card stock
Scallop punch
Circle punch
Be the Star stamp set (#135734)
Rich Razzleberry ink pad
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)
Brad and small washer
 
1. Cut your paper squares and adhere them on top of each other according to the picture.
2. Cut two circles the same size (about 4" diameter) from Rich Razzleberry and White card stock. On the Rich Razzleberry, you need to leave a tab on one side for turning. Also, cut out a space from the Rich Razzleberry circle for the words to show. This should be about 1 1/2" x 1/2" depending on your writing.
3. Use a Rich Razzleberry marker to write your greetings (love notes) around the edge of the circle.
4. Adhere the white circle to the center of the layered square papers. Place the Rich Razzleberry circle over the white circle on the card. Do not adhere this down. Punch a hole in the center of the circles all the way through all of the papers. Place the brad with a small washer through the hole. Bend the prongs on the back. At this  point you should be able to move the Rich Razzleberry circle around to reveal the greetings or love notes on the white circle. Check to make sure that the card stock spins around properly and the writing shows. You may need to make small adjustments at this point.
5. Stamp the small star from the Be the Star stamp set in the center of the small white circle with Rich Razzleberry ink. Stamp the same star around the outside of the circle, like in the picture.
6. Punch a round scallop out of Daffodil Delight card stock. Adhere the circle with the stars in the center of it.
7. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the scallop circle. Adhere it over the brad so that the brad does not show but it still free to spin.
Your card is now ready to send. Since it is a large card, you may need to make an envelope especially for this card. Non-standard size cards may require extra postage so be sure to check with your post office before you mail this card.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Elegant Birthday

Materials needed:
Serene Silhouettes stamp set (#1277324)
Perfect Punches stamp set (#120516)
White card stock 4 x 5 1/4", 1 x 5 1/4" plus extra
Island Indigo card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2", 1 1/4 x 5 1/4"
Gingham Garden patterned paper (#129310) 2 1/4 x 2 1/2"
Island Indigo ink pad
1 3/4" Circle punch
Corner rounder
Large Oval punch
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)
Embossing Folder from Paper Studios

1. Place the white card stock in your embossing folder and run it through your Big Shot machine.
Adhere the embossed card stock to the Island Indigo card stock.
2. Adhere the 1" white card stock to the 1 1/4" Island Indigo card stock centered. Adhere this piece to the white embossed piece about 1" from the top edge.
3. Round the corners on the patterned paper and adhere it on top of the blue & white cross piece that you just put on.
4. Using Island Indigo ink on white card stock, stamp the circle image and the birthday greeting.
5. Use the circle punch to punch out the circle image and the oval punch to punch out the birthday greeting.
6.  Adhere the circle to the center of the patterned paper.
7. Place dimensionals to the back of the greeting. Place it on top of the blue and white strip.
8. Adhere the card front on to a card base and send to a friend.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Butterfly & Doily Birthday Card

This card is every bit as easy as the digital cards we've been making.


Materials needed:
So-So-Sweet with glitter paper pack from the Paper Studio
Wilton's Doily
White card stock
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

1. Choose the glitter paper that you want to use from the paper pack. Cut a strip about 3/4" wide from another paper in the paper pack. Since they are all designed together, you know they will match.
2. On one of the butterfly pieces, cut out a butterfly. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the butterfly.
3. Adhere the strip that you cut on the left side of the card.
4. Adhere the doily in the center of the card. When I use doilies, I place adhesive only on the solid section of the doily. That leaves the cut part free and you don't have to worry about excess adhesive sticking where you don't want it.
5. Place the butterfly in the center of the doily.
6. Adhere the card front to a card base and you have another easy card that looks great.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Lily Hybrid Birthday

Materials needed:
Darling Buds-Lilies from Daisy Trail
Wisteria Wonder card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
3/8" Striped Organdy Melon Mambo ribbon (#129293)
2 1/2" Circle Punch
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

1. Print the lilies and frame from the digikit. Cut them out. Punch out the circle birthday greeting with the circle punch.
2. Wrap the ribbon around the Wistria Wonder card stock and tie in a knot on the front.
3.Place Stampin' dimensionals on the back of the birthday circle. Peel the backings off and adhere it to the center of the frame from the Daisy Trails digikit. Cut out the other lily that you  printed. Adhere it to the top right of the Wisteria Wonder, overlapping the ribbon.
4. Adhere the framed greeting on the left side of the card, overlapping the lilies some.
5. Adhere the card front to a card base and send out some love.