Early Mother's Day

Inspiration

I'm very fortunate to be in my 50's with both my mother and my husband's mother alive and healthy. So I make 2 special cards every May to send off to East Tennessee, where they both live. Today's card is the one I made for my own mother - she loves gardens and butterflies, especially in the spring.

Ingredients

Note: finished card size is 5" x 7"

Stamps

Fabulous Flourishes (Tim Holtz Collection by Stampers Anonymous)

Floral Wreath (Gina K Designs)

Butterfly and Lilies (Heartfelt Creations)

Mother's Day Centers (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Paper

Pink Pirouette	7" x 10"; scored at 5", and 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
X-Press It Blending Card (Imagination International)	3" x 5 1/2"

Ink

Distress Embossing Ink (Ranger)

Distress Inks and Re-Inkers (Ranger): Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, and Weathered Wood

Accessories

Butterflight On the Edge Die (Tim Holtz Alterations by Sizzix)

Big Shot Pro (Sizzix)

Fine Detail White Embossing Powder (Sweet Stamps)

Heat Gun

Ink Blending Tool (Ranger)

Tim Holtz Detail Water Brush (Ranger)

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (EK Success)

Zip Dry Glue

3-D Foam Squares (Scrapbook Adhesives)

Scor-Pal

Cutter Bee Scissors (EK Success)

Rotary Trimmer (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD

Start with a piece of pink card stock measuring 7" x 10", score at 5" and fold. Stamp the flourish diagonally across the card front using embossing ink, and heat emboss with fine detail white embossing powder.

Use the ink blending tool to shade all 4 edges of the card. If you get ink on the white flourish, simply wipe it off with a paper towel.

BORDER

Use the Butterflight die to cut a border of butterflies using white card stock. Using the ink blending tool, apply Distress inks to color the butterflies. Glue the border to the bottom edge of the card front.

IMAGES

Stamp the butterfly and wreath images on pink card stock using embossing ink, and heat emboss with detail white embossing powder. Carefully cut out both images. Color the images using a brush, and Distress Re-Inkers. Use dark pink ink to stamp the sentiment in the center of the wreath. I use my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to position the sentiment just where I want it.

Finish by mounting the wreath in the open curve of the flourish and the butterfly in the right upper corner of the card, using foam squares.

Thanks for stopping by!

Imagine With All Your Heart

Inspiration

Here's the card I made for a sketch club I belong to - this one went to a friend in Canada.

Ingredients

Note: Finished Card Size: 5" x 6 1/4""

Paper

Basic Black (SU!)	6 1/4" x 10", score at 5"
Venice designer paper (7 Gypsies)	4 3/4" x 6"
Sandy Tan (Core'dinations)	4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Vintage Ivory (Papertrey Ink)	3" x 4"

Ink

Basic Black (SU!)

Stamps

Imagine With All (Rubbernecker Stamps)

Accessories

Petite Oval Large Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Grand Calibur (Spellbinders)

Tim Holtz Embossing Folder Fancy and Floral Frames Set (Sizzix)

Cuttlebug (Provo Craft)

Sanding tool (Ranger)

Ribbon (Michaels)

Peg Bow Maker (Unity Stamps)

ATG

Double-sided tape (PK Glitz)

Zip Dry Glue

Scissors

Scor-Pal

Rotary Trimmer with straight and deckled blades (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD

The base card is a piece of black card stock measuring 6 1/4" x 10". Score it 5", and fold.

MAT LAYERS

Cut a piece of designer paper measuring 4 3/4" x 6". Cut a piece of sand card stock measuring 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". Emboss the sand card stock with the embossing folder, then sand the surface of the embossed image. Mount the embossed card stock onto the designer paper. Mount a strip of ribbon along the right edge of the mat layers. Mount the mat onto the front of the card. Tie a bow, and mount at the upper right corner of the card front.

SENTIMENT

Cut/emboss an ivory oval, and stamp the sentiment in black ink onto the oval. Mount the oval onto the center of the embossed image.

Thanks for stopping by!

Classic Christmas - Heartfelt Creations New Release

Inspiration

It's time for a new release from Heartfelt Creations!!! This month, Heartfelt Creations releases their "Classic Christmas" collection - this collection features 6 new stamp sets that coordinate with the Heirloom Ornaments 2011 and the Labels Seven Nestabilities dies from Spellbinders. The classic images in this collection are perfect not only for Christmas projects but for those special projects you create throughout the year!

AND, as with all the new releases, be sure to leave a comment on the Heartfelt Creations blog by October 18 for a chance to win the entire release valued at $89.99.

I have 4 cards on the HC blog this week, so I'll be posting on my blog a card each day through Saturday this week. Here's the first one.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 5" x 7"

Paper

Soft Suede (SU!)	7" x 11"; scored at 5", and 3" x 3"
Jingle DSP (Lilybee Designs)	4 1/4" x 5 1/2""
Core'dinations	4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K)	3" x 3"

Inks

Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger)

Stamps

Shepherd's Scene (Heartfelt Creations)

Book Frame 2 (Heartfelt Creations)

Accessories

Grand Calibur (Spellbinders)

Labels 7 Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Tim Holtz Sheet Music embossing folder (Sizzix)

Tim Holtz paper sander (Ranger)

Tim Holtz paper distresser (Ranger)

Sponge

SPICA gold pen (Imagination International)

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

Ribbon (Ribbon Retreat)

Bow-Easy

3-D Foam Squares (3L)

Scissors

ATG (Scotch)

Scor-Pal

Scissors

Rotary trimmer (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD

Cut the base card from brown card stock measuring 7" x 10", score at 5", and fold.

MAT 1

Cut a piece of designer paper measuring 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". Distress all 4 edges, then use a sponge to apply walnut stain ink on all 4 edges. Mount a piece of ribbon diagonally across the upper left corner. Mount the mat in the upper left corner of the front of the card.

MAT 2

Cut a piece of Core'dinaton paper measuring 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". Emboss with the embossing folder, then lightly sand over the embossed music image. Distress all 4 edges, then use a sponge to apply walnut stain ink on all 4 edges. Mount the mat in the lower right corner of the front of the card.

BOOK

Stamp the middle-sized book image on brown card stock using walnut ink, and cut out using the matching Label 7 die. Stamp the image again on ivory card stock in walnut ink. Use the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to stamp the sentiment across the middle of the book on ivory cardstock in walnut ink. Cut out the pages portion of the ivory book, and color the edges of the pages with the gold SPICA pen. Mount the pages on the brown book using foam squares. Mount the book on the music mat using foam squares.

BOW

Finish by tying a multi-loop bow in matching ribbon, and gluing on the diagonal ribbon in the upper left corner of the card.

And Don't Forget

Head over to the Heartfelt Creations blog for all the beautiful creations by the design team, and leave a comment there by October 18 for a chance to win!

Thanks for stopping by!

Bundle of Joy

Inspiration

Here's a card I made for a coworker who has 3 little girls, and just was blessed with a little boy! He has so much joy in his life!

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Paper

Brocade Blue textured (SU!)	5 1/2" x 11"; scored at 5 1/2"
Blue Polka Dot (Paper Patch)	4 7/8" x 4 7/8"
Brocade Blue (SU!)	4 1/2" x 4 1/2"
Whisper White (SU!)	3" x 3"

Inks

Basic Black (SU!)

Stamps

New Bundle (Image Tree)

Accessories

Big Shot Pro (Sizzix)

Grand Scallop Square Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Eyelet Square Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Corner rounder punch (SU!)

Watercolor crayons (SU!)

Watercolor brush

Adhesive gems (Recollections)

Scissors

ATG (Scotch)

Scor-Pal

Rotary trimmer (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD

Cut the base card from the textured card stock, measuring 5 1/2" x 11", score at 5 1/2", and fold. Place the scalloped nestabilities die just above the fold, and cut/emboss to create the shaped card. Cut the polka-dot paper square measuring 4 7/8" x 4 7/8" and round all 4 corners. Mount on the front of the card. Cut/emboss an eyelet square from plain blue card stock measuring 4 1/2" x 4 1/2". Mount on the front of the card.

IMAGE

Stamp the image in black ink on a white card stock square measuring 3" x 3". Round all 4 corners. Color the image with watercolor crayons. I use a traditional water color brush - very small - with a little bit of water and a paper towel to blot the brush or the image when I think there's too much moisture.

After your image is dry, mount it onto the the eyelet square on the card front. Finish with tiny adhesive gems.

Thanks for stopping by!