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!

Dads Are Special

Inspiration

I made this card for my FIL's birthday - he turned 83 on February 22! I cased it from a card by Elizabeth Jones that was published in the book Best of Stamp It! Cards.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size: 5" x 7"

STAMPS

Growing in Unity (Unity Stamps)

Father's Day Centers (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Paper

Chocolate Chip	7" x 10" scored at 5"
Old Olive	4 7/8" x 6 7/8"
Not Quite Navy	4 1/4" x 4 1/2"
Very Vanilla	4 5/8" x 6 5/8", and 3 3/4" x 4"

Ink

Chocolate Chip (SU!)

Old Olive (SU!)

Not Quite Navy (SU!)

Accessories

Markers (Old Olive, Chocolate Chip by SU!)

Twine (No Time to Stamp)

Stipple Brush

Glue Dots

ATG (3M)

Tape (Scotch)

Scor-Pal

Rotary Trimmer (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD and MAT LAYER

Cut a piece of brown card stock measuring 7" x 10", score it at 5", and fold. Cut a piece of green card stock measuring 4 7/8" x 6 7/8" and mount it on the front of the card.

SENTIMENT LAYER

Cut a piece of vanilla card stock measuring 4 5/8" x 6 5/8". Use a stipple brush with brown ink and lightly stipple color around the edges of the card. Stamp the sentiment in blue ink in the bottom center of the panel. Cut three pieces of twine about 6" long, and tie them together with a knot about 2" from one end. Put a glue dot on the knot and adhere it to the panel above the sentiment toward the right side of the panel. Use tape to secure the ends on the back of the panel. Mount the sentiment layer on the front of the card.

IMAGE

Ink the leaf portion of the tree stamp with green ink. Use the "rock and roll" method with the stamp to ink the outer edges of the tree with brown ink. Use a brown marker to color the trunk, and a green marker to blend a little where the 2 colors meet. Stamp the image onto a vanilla panel measuring 3 3/4" x 4". Stipple around the outer edges with dark blue ink. Cut the image into exact thirds (1 1/4" each).

Cut a piece of dark blue card stock measuring 4 1/4" x 4 1/2". Mount the 3 panels of the image onto the blue card stock, then mount the image onto the card front.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunny Birthday Wishes

Inspiration

This card was designed based on a sketch from a sketch group I belong to called CardSketchesByZacksNana. My sketch partner is in Austrailia this month, so now my cards have gone "international"! Lots of fun!

I wanted to use fall colors, but still create a bright sunny greeting. I love this watering can image from Heartfelt Creations, so I used it for my focal point, and used shades of rust, yellow, and brown to create the fall mood.

Here's the result.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 5" x 5"

Paper

Really Rust (SU!)	6" x 12" scored at 6"
Autumn Meadows DSP (SU!)	6" x 6"
Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink)	5 1/2" x 8 1/2"
More Mustard (SU!)	2" x 4"

Inks

Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)

Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)

Stamps

HCPC 3305 Posy Patch Clusters PreCut Set (Heartfelt Creations)

HCPC 3306 Posy Patch Garden Delights PreCut Set (Heartfelt Creations)

Birthday Centers (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Accessories

Big Shot Pro (Sizzix)

Ribbon Banners Shapeabilities (Spellbinders)

Grand Scalloped Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Grand Plain Circles Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

COPIC Markers (Imagination International)

Craft Knife (Cutter Bee)

Buttercup Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

3-D Foam Squares (Scrapbook Adhesives)

Removeable tape (Scotch)

ATG (Scotch)

Scor-Pal

Rotary Trimmer (Fiskars)

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

Instructions

BASE CARD

To create this shaped card, cut a piece of rust card stock measuring 6" x 12", score at 6" and fold. Place the second-smallest Grand Nestabilites scalloped circle die just above the fold, and secure with removeable tape. Cut/emboss to create the card. Cut/emboss the designer paper using the smallest Grand Nestabilites plain circle die. Mount this on the front of the card.

IMAGES

Stamp the watering can image twice in black ink on white paper. Cut out one image entirely, and just the flowers of the second image. Stamp the large posy cluster image twice in black ink on white paper. Cut out one image entirely, and just the large center flower of the second image. Stamp the small posy cluster in black ink on white paper, and cut it out.

Color all of the trimmed images with COPIC markers. I used these colors:

• Flowers: YR21, YR23
• Leaves: YG93, YG97
• Watering can: E33, E39

Mount the full watering can image in the lower right area of the card front. Use foam squares to mount the second set of flowers onto the base image. Adhere the two clusters of flowers to the upper left diagonally from the watering can. Mount the single blossom using a foam square, rotating it slight to alternate the petals.

Finish with Buttercup liquid pearls in the center of each blossom. The easiest way to make smooth centers is to squeeze a little out onto the blossom, and lift the bottle straight up to release the paint. As it dries, it smooths into pretty round, pearl-shaped flower centers.

SENTIMENT

While the flower centers are drying, cut/emboss a ribbon banner using dark yellow card stock. Distress the edges with brown ink and a sponge. Using the stamp positioner, stamp the sentiment on the banner in brown ink. Mount at the bottom of the card front using foam squares.

Thanks for stopping by!

Make A Wish

Inspiration

I really like working from a sketch, and often when I'm "stuck", I'll look through card sketches - there are LOTS of places to find them. I needed a simple card suitable to send to men - I have several male friends with birthdays in September, and none of them know each other (LOL!) so I could make several of the same one to send out.

This card is based on one from the book "Cardmaker's Sketchbook Birthday Celebration". A sketch is always a starting point - this sketch was for a 4" x 9" card with a circle in the middle with the edges of the circle cut off, but I've sized it to a 4 1/2" x 6" and used a full oval. My own design, with inspiration from the sketch.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 4 1/2" x 6"

Paper

Tempting Turquoise (SU!)	6" x 9"; scored at 4 1/2, and 1 1/2" x 6", and 4" x 5"
Island Blossoms DSP (SU!)	4 3/8" x 5 7/8"
Certainly Celery (SU!)	1 3/8" x 6", and 4" x 5"

Inks

Tempting Turquoise (SU!)

Stamps

Birthday Centers (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Candle Crazy (SU!)

Accessories

Big Shot Pro (Sizzix)

Classic Ovals - Scalloped - Large (Spellbinders)

Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

ATG (Scotch)

Scor-Pal

Rotary Trimmer

Instructions

Candles

Stamp the candles in blue ink on the green strip of paper. (I will tell you that I don't use the "wheel" stamps anymore - I pull the rubber off the wheel, and use Ez-Mount to make cling stamps from them. I ink them with a regular stamp pad, and use a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to get the stamps lined up straight. I find that much less stressful than trying to run the wheel straight across the paper...)

Mount the green strip onto the blue strip of paper.

SENTIMENT

Cut/emboss a blue oval using the largest die, and a green oval using the next sized die. Using blue ink, stamp a sentiment in the upper and lower portions of the green oval. I placed the candle strip across the oval to get an idea of where to stamp, and used the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to stamp the greetings where I wanted them.

ASSEMBLY

Mount the patterned paper onto card front, followed by the blue oval, then the green oval. Finish up with the candle strip across the middle of card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Swingin’ Z

Inspiration

This card is my last post for 2010!  My next post will be January 2, 2011 – I simply cannot believe how quickly the year flew by, and especially how fast my nice “relaxing” week off is going.

I created this one for a 21-year-old, who is saving money for a first trip to Hawaii.  We gave her some funding as a gift, and I made this card to inspire her with thoughts of Hawaii.

The design is called a Swinging Z-Fold, and it was the featured technique in last week’s “Inkling” newsletter from Splitcoast Stampers.  If you make cards, you’d love this weekly email with lots of ideas and great tutorials.  You can subscribe here.  They have a great tutorial for this technique (including a video) – click here to check it out.

On this card, the outside and inside are both decorated.  Here’s the outside:

And here’s what it look like when opened:

Ingredients

Paper

Note: finished card size is 4 1/2” x 4 1/2”

Cameo Coral (SU!)	a) 4 1/4” x 8 1/2” b) additional small scraps
Tempting Turquoise (SU!)	a) 4 1/2” x 4 1/2” b) 3” x 3” c) 2” x 4” d) additional small scraps
Summer Sun Textured (SU!)	small scraps
Real Red (SU!)	small scraps
Pink Flamingo DSP (SU!)	4 1/8” x 4 1/8” – 3 pieces
Whisper White (SU!)	a) 1 7/8” x 3 7/8” b) 3” x 3” c) small scraps

Ink

Tempting Turquoise (SU!)

Stamps

Fifth Avenue Floral (SU!); Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU!); Motivational Centers (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Accessories

Punches: Small and Medium Oval (SU!), Flower and leaf punches (Make An Impression); Octagon Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Cuttlebug (Provo Craft); Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Glue dots; Craft Knife; Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars); Scissors

Instructions

Making the Base Card

Starting with the coral paper, score it at 2 1/8”, and 4 1/4”. 

Mount a pieces of the patterned paper onto the un-scored side of the base.  I cut the paper specifically to highlight the sunburst pattern from the paper.

Apply adhesive on the scored side of the cardstock base facing the patterned paper, with additional adhesive on the outside half.  Mount another piece of patterned paper there.  Score the same panel again at 2 1/8" to make it easier to fold later.

Turn the card over, and apply adhesive to the other side of the scored panel, with additional adhesive on the outside half. Mount your last piece of patterned paper, and score once more at 2 1/8”.

Fold the scored side, then place the die template in the center, and trace only the LEFT side of the template, starting at the fold line at the top, and around the left to the fold line at the bottom.

Now, using the craft knife, cut along your traced lines.

Mount the un-scored square panel of the base card onto the large turquoise square.  For this card, I used the back of the turquoise square to write our greeting to the birthday girl.

Now you’re ready to decorate.

Decorating the Card

For the cut out decoration on the outside, use the largest octagon die to cut and emboss a turquoise shape.  Use the next size die to cut a white octagon, and stamp the sentiment in turquoise.  Mount the blue octagon to the card, and then the white octagon onto the blue.

Stamp Happy Birthday in turquoise on a scrap of white paper, and punch out with the smallest oval.  Punch a larger oval in turquoise.  Mount the birthday sentiment on the blue oval.  Adhere it to the inside of the card on the un-scored panel.

Use your remaining scraps to punch out leaves from blue, the largest flowers from coral, the medium flowers from yellow, and the flower centers from red. Mount these using glue dots around the sentiments.

Final Notes

I want to wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year and many blessings in the coming months! If you are celebrating away from home, please stay safe on New Year’s Eve, and travel home safely.

Thanks for stopping by.

Precious Gifts

Inspiration

I’m celebrating a friend’s birthday this week early, along with a late celebration for my birthday – we have the last 2 birthdays of the year in our circle of “diva'” friends - she is the youngest of my circle of girl friends and I’m the oldest!  This card celebrates our friendship.

I started with the Splitcoast “Fan Club” monthly sketch challenge, and picked stamps and Nestabilities I haven’t used much, and this is the result:

Ingredients

Paper

Note: finished card size is 5” x 7”

Bravo Burgundy (SU!)	a) 7” x 10”, score at 5” b) small scrap, about 5/8” x 2 5/8”
So Saffron (SU!)	4” x 4”
Parisian Summer DSP (SU!)	4 1/4” x 7”
Very Vanilla (SU!)	a) 3” x 3” b) small scrap about 1/2” x 2 1/2”

Ink

Bravo Burgundy (SU!)

Stamps

Friendship Set (JustRite Stampers); Birthday Centers (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Accessories

Markers: Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, Bravo Burgundy, Mellow Moss (SU!); SPICA Glitter pens: Garnet, Yellow, Pink (Imagination International); Nestabilities: Labels Ten, Eyelet Circles, and Plain Circles (Spellbinders); Cuttlebug (Provo Craft); Bow-Easy; Grosgrain Ribbon (SU!); Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Foam tape; Glue dots; Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars); Scissors

Instructions

Image

Cheers Sentiment:  Stamp the saying in burgundy on the small scrap of vanilla paper, and mount it on the small burgundy strip.

Precious Gifts Sentiment: Stamp the image in burgundy on the larger piece of vanilla paper, then cut it out using the plain circle Nestabilities die.  Color the image with the dye markers, and accent with the glitter pens.

Friendship Sentiment: Stamp the image in burgundy on the yellow cardstock, then cut it out with the largest Eyelet Circle die.  Run it through the die cutter twice – once to cut, and once to emboss.

Assembly

Run the patterned paper through the die cutter using the largest Labels Ten die.  Mount it slightly toward the top of the front of the base card.

Mount the yellow die cut using foam tape over the bottom portion of the label die cut.  Add the image on the vanilla circle to the center using foam tape.

Mount the cheers sentiment above the yellow, then tie your bow with the yellow ribbon, and mount it near the top of the label using glue dots.  All done!

Final Notes

Inside

I cut another patterned paper large Label Ten, then the next smaller size Label Ten die out of vanilla.  I stamped a sentiment in burgundy on the vanilla and layered then in the center of the inside panel.

Just a Note

I’m posting this a little early because my schedule is changing a bit – I’ve enrolled in a “Web Master Certification” course, and my classes are Monday-Wednesday-Friday, so I’m posting this on Tuesday.  I’ll still post twice a week, and try to keep it to Sunday/Wednesday, but there may be some variations depending on homework, etc.  Hopefully, you’ll eventually see a brand new blog and website as I learn more about Web design and coding!!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Whimsical Wishes

Inspiration

I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving weekend – filled with family and friends, and many blessings.  Mine was a whirlwind!  A road trip to Branson, MO, to celebrate the holiday with my dear cousins. BTW, Andy Williams still does an AWESOME Christmas show!

Here’s a simple Christmas card – right out of the Card Maker’s Sketch Book – Christmas Celebration.

Ingredients

Paper

Note: finished card size is 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”

Baroque Burgundy (SU!)	4 1/4” x 11, score at 5 1/2”
Forest Foliage (CTMH)	a) 2 7/8” x 5 1/4” b) 2” x 2”
Kraft (SU!)	a) 2 3/4” x 5 1/8” b) 2” x 2”
Stamper’s Select White (Paper Trey)	3” x 4”

Ink

Rich Cocoa (Memento); Forest Foliage (CTMH)'; Baroque Burgundy (SU!)

Stamps

Forest Friendzy (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Accessories

COPIC Markers: E0000,E000,E00,E02,E41,E43,E44,G24,G28,R02,R20,R59, W00,W1; Markers: Baroque Burgundy (SU!); Easy Stitch Stencil (Paper Pizazz); Curvy Label Punch (SU!); Curly Label Movers & Shapers (SU!); Cuttlebug (Provo Craft); Dazzling Dots Star Stickers (Stampendous); Gems (Paper Studio); Dress It Up Holiday Buttons (Jesse James Beads); Burgundy Ribbon (Ribbon Warehouse); Liquid Applique (Marvy); Heat Gun; Scor-Pal; Foam Tape; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars); Scissors; Post-It Notes 

Instructions

Image

ELF - Stamp the image in brown on the white cardstock. Color with COPICs.  Here’s the colors I used:

• Hat: G24, G28
• Boots: E41, E43, E44
• Suit: R59
• Face: E0000, E000, E00, E02, R02, R20
• Beard: W00, W1

Trim the image closely, and finish by apply Liquid Applique on the fur trim of the hat, and heat it using the heat gun (just until it puffs up a little).  Glue a sparkly button at the tip of the hat.

TREES – Stamp the tree on a Post-It note, and trim it to use as a mask.  Stamp the left-most tree in green on the Kraft cardstock panel.  Put your mask on the stamped tree, then stamp another tree overlapping the first.  Add a star sticker at the top of each tree, and some gems on the tree.  Finish by adding a border with the burgundy pen, using a simple stitch pattern.

GREETING – Stamp the greeting in burgundy on the small scrap of Kraft paper, then punch it out using the curly label punch.  Run the small scrap of green paper through the Cuttlebug using the Movers & Shapers label die.

Assembly

Put together the tree image first:

• Mount the tree image on the green cardstock panel.
• Add a ribbon across the trunks of the trees.
• Mount the greeting near the top of the tree image.
• Adhere the entire stack to the front of the burgundy card base.

Mount the elf image using foam tape on the bottom right of the card.

Final Notes

Inside / Envelope

I cut a solid green panel (4” x 5 1/4”), stamped my sentiment on a smaller white panel (3 3/4” x 5”) and layered them on the inside.

Thanks for stopping by.

Easter Bunny Basket

Inspiration

For a little more grown-up Easter basket, I think this bunny makes are really pretty card. 

Here are 2 variations using the same stamp and general layout.  The only difference is in the trim. 

The yellow card uses the Spellbinders’ scalloped circle and plain circle dies, with a simple patterned paper and ribbon embellishment.

I’m still learning to use my silhouette digital cutter, but I’m starting to see many possibilities.  The green card is trimmed with a row of die cut blossoms that provide a nice dimensional effect in a total opposite color – the bright pink really makes the flowers stand out!

Ingredients – Yellow Card

CARDSTOCK: So Saffron (SU!), Lavender Lace (SU!), Whisper White (SU!), patterned paper (DCWV)

STAMPS: Serene Spring (SU!); Sentiment (Cornish Heritage Farms)

INK: Rich Cocoa (Memento); Basic Black (SU!)

ACCESSORIES: COPIC markers; Scalloped and plain circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Cuttlebug Die Cut maching (Provo Craft); Scor-Pal; lavender ribbon (Hobby Lobby); Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight and scalloped blades (Fiskars)

Ingredients – Green Card

CARDSTOCK: Green Galore (SU!), Lavender Lace (SU!), Whisper White (SU!), pink paper (unknown)

STAMPS: Serene Spring (SU!); Sentiment (Cornish Heritage Farms)

INK: Rich Cocoa (Memento); Basic Black (SU!)

ACCESSORIES: COPIC markers; Scalloped and plain circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Cuttlebug Die Cut maching (Provo Craft); Scor-Pal; Silhouette digital cutter (QuicKutz); Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight and scalloped blades (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD: Cut a base card measuring 5 1/2” x 11” in green or yellow, and score it in half at 5 ½”.

IMAGE LAYERS: Using the Cuttlebug, cut a lavender scalloped circle.  Run the cut image through the Cuttlebug again, embossing the shape.  Cut a smaller plain circle from white cardstock, and emboss this shape, too.

Stamp the bunny image using the brown ink centered in the white circle, and color with COPIC markers.

Mount the white circle on the lavender circle.

EMBELLISHMENTS (Yellow Card): Cut a triangle from the lavender patterned paper using the scalloped blade on the rotary cutter.  This triangle measures 3” at the base, and 3 1/2” on the other sides.

Cut a length of lavender ribbon measuring slightly longer than 5 1/2”, and another short piece of ribbon.  Tie the short ribbon around the longer one close to one end of the ribbon.

Mount the triangle of patterned paper on the left of the card front, followed by the ribbon.

Mount the image stack to the right of the triangle.

EMBELLISHMENTS (Green Card): Using the Silhouette, cut a strip of die cut flowers from the pink paper, and remove it from the cutting mat.

Mount strip of flowers on the left of the card, and the image stack on the right.

SENTIMENT: Stamp the sentiment below the image.

Thanks for stopping by!

Easter Gift Card Holders

Inspiration
Making gift card holders is great for any occasion, including Easter - a great little item to add to an Easter basket!  This is an easy one to make, and can be decorated in so many ways.

I first saw the idea on a technique challenge on Splitcoast Stampers, and it referred to a video for making this card holder on the Hero Arts blog.  I made Christmas-themed holders for gift cards in December, and they were a real hit.

Here are my Easter versions.

I used my Silhouette digital cutter for the scalloped frames on each card, and for the Easter basket on the purple card.  The rest were just quick & easy stamps with an Easter theme.

Ingredients

PAPER: Solid color cardstock measuring 8 1/2” x 4 1/4” for the outside of the card; Coordinating paper measuring 4” x 12” for the inside card holder.

STAMPS: An Egg-cellent Easter (SU!); Hey Chickie (Cornish Heritage Farms)

INK: Basic Black (SU!)

ACCESSORIES: SU Markers; Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight and deckle blades (Fiskars); Craft knife

Instructions

INSIDE CARD HOLDER: Score the 4 X 12 paper, score it at 4", 6”, and 8”.  Fold the paper inward on the 4” and 8” scores.  Using the craft knife, cut a slit about 2 1/2” long along the 6” score line.   Fold on the 6” score line in the opposite direction of the first 2 folds.  Now you have a “W” shape. 

OUTSIDE CARD: Score the 8” x 4 1/4” card in the middle at 4 1/4”, and decorate the front with a stamped or die cut image.

FINAL ASSEMBLY: Use adhesive to glue the inside cardholder paper to inside of the outer card, with the slit for the gift card pointing outward.

You can embellish the inside with more images, or sentiments as you wish.  It’s a simple pattern you can really personalize.  For more inspiration, here is a gallery with many, many samples!

Have fun getting ready for the Easter Bunny’s visit! Thanks for stopping by.