Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Thinking of You


This thinking of you card was made for a bloggers challenge a few weeks ago (9/11/09) but I had technical problems with my camera and wasn't able to post it.

I plan to send this to an old friend of the family who is recovering from breast cancer treatments.

Recipe:

Card stock: always artichoke, so saffron, whisper white
Stamp set: wonderful watercolors
Ink: Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Sunflower, chocolate chip
Accessories: So Saffron wide grosgrain ribbon

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Wedding cards - tone on tone very vanilla

Here are two cards I made for co-workers. Both are getting married this weekend! The first card is for Sue. Her wedding colors are Ivory and Champagne so I was inspired to try to make a tone on tone card for her in her colors. This was really fun to do with embossing and accessories. Since I was already in the mood, I decided to make Steve's card similar, but his is a tad more whimsical because Sue is more classy and elegant and Steve is more silly and fun. I hope the weather is great for them this weekend. Sue's ceremony is Friday. Steve's is Saturday.










Recipe:
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Off-white card stock from AC moore, Vellum
Ink: Versamark, Sahara Sand (Happily ever after)
Stamps: French Script, congratulations, Happily ever after, Together Forever (inside greeting.)
Accessories: Ribbon, Pearls
Embossing: Clear

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Bloggers Challenge DSP 9/25/09


This card uses the Bella Rose DSP. I don't have a specific occasion for this card but it will be nice for a young lady who reaches a milestone - maybe when my daughter completes finals in college or my neighbor daughter hears from her 1st choice college. I like to have some cards in 'inventory' that I have around. Many times, I want to send a card quickly and it's nice to have some general sentiment cards around for that. This congratulations set is very flexible since the other sayings allow you to make the card for birthday, anniversay, retirement... whatever.
The recipe:
Card Stock: Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Pink Piorette
Stamp pad: Kiwi Kiss, Pink Piorette, versamark
DSP: Bella Rose
Stamps: Priceless, Congratulations
Accessories: Pink Gingham ribbon, Iridescent ice (embossing powder)
Technique: Embossing

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Hello Card

This is a square card/note. I made this for my daughter. Sarah is my oldest and I can't believe what a beautiful and sweet young lady she is. No, I'm not surprised that she's beautiful and sweet, but it is hard to believe that she is a young lady already. She is no longer a teenager!!!!

Anyway, I sent this card up to her at college with some home-made cookies and a few books she left behind.



Recipe:

Paper: Watercolor paper
Markers: Soft subtles
Stamp pad: Stayzon black
Tools: Movers and Shapers Big Shot die set
Stamps: Window Dressing
Accessories: Old Olive ribbon

Tuesday, September 22, 2009


My husband and I will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary on Monday. Wow - 1985 seems like a long time ago, but I've enjoyed every year (more or less) with my husband. It really is true that relationships go through cycles of ups and downs. Thankfully, we are in a really good cycle right now and I really enjoy spending time with Bob and there is a renewed sense of intimacy in our relationship. It helps a lot that his job is much less stressful, he is home (and not traveling so much) and the kids are older and less demanding. The years when he was traveling 1-2 weeks a month and the kids needed a lot of care were tough, and frankly we probably neglected our relationship a bit during those times. But now, we are really trying to prioritize our relationship and life is good. Anyway, on to today's card. This is cute image from Stampavie that I borrowed from Kimberly.



Recipe:
Card Stock: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Certainly Celery
Ink: Soft Suede
Stamps: Stampavie, Define your life (together)
Accessories: Soft Suede Polka-dot grosgrain, Certainly Celery polytwill ribbon

Monday, September 21, 2009

This is a get well card I made for my father in law. He had a pacemaker put in last week and is recovering from the procedure. He had quite a time in the hospital. He was having a very normal procedure to fix another issue, when they noticed that his heart was stopping. This happened 4 times in 36 hours, so they knew he needed the pacemaker. In a way, it was a blessing that this happened, because otherwise they might not have ever detected his issue. Also, the 2nd night he was in the hospital - his roommate died. I guess the guy in the bed next to him was only 24 years old, but morbidly obese. Talk about waking you up to the reality that none of us live here on earth forever. I pray that the experience will cause him to refocus his priorities and consider his relationship with God. He's a great guy, but not much of a spiritual man. Anyway, on to the card. The card is actually an accident, but I like the effect and will use it again. I originally had the watercolor image larger and matted on the eggplant card stock. I had put 4 brads in the corners but it was too large and too symmetrical. So I cut the image down, but in doing so the cutter only hit the watercolor paper and didn't get to the under layer of card stock. So as I ripped the card stock off - voila - the torn edge you see. It adds a nice masculine look.

Recipe:
Card Stock: Sahara Sand, very vanilla, Eggplant, watercolor paper
Ink: Eggplant
Other: Hodgepodge hardware, eggplant ribbon, wonderful watercolors
Stamps: Thougts of Father, Thoughts and prayers

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Stampavie birthday card


Kimberly got me hooked on the Stampavie collection. I love this stamp with Lily and friends. It was perfect for my friend and co-worker. She loved it! Erin and have worked together for over 10 years and she's a big animal lover. She encourages me to eat healthy and buy organic! Surprisingly she was born the same year, but she manages to look 10 years younger than me. Must be all that organic food and yoga she does! Like I said, she's an inspiration for me!

The recipe for today's card is as follows:

Ink: Baja Breeze, watercolor crayons in earth elements
Paper: Strathmore Watercolor paper, Summer Sun
Stamps: Lily and friends (Stampavie), Wonderful words (Stampin up)
Accessories: Baja Breeze Ribbon

Friday, September 18, 2009

Blessings




For this weeks bloggers challenge, I decided to go with a fall theme. I picked the flowers/foliage from Autumn days and thought the saying from God's blessing went well with the Thanksgiving theme. It's hard to see but the very vanilla has a very thin mat of mambo melon.

The challenge was to use crushed curry, mambo melon and chocolate chip with neutrals. I found the color combination challenging so I used the mambo melon as just a slight accent, rather than a theme color.

Since the card itself is on crushed curry, I opted to add a layer to the inside of the card. I usually prefer to write my card message on something neutral.

I struggled to get a good photo of this one, the colors seem a little off but I hope you get the idea of the card.

Thanks for looking and please add comments. I love seeing them!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Birthday Bird


Monday, my youngest son will turn 16. Cards for boys are tough, cards for men are tougher but I think cards for young men are the toughest!!!

I really have nothing appropriate! I was tempted to go out and buy a car stamp - and since I do still have the weekend, I may still do that, I thought it would be cute to get a car image and then maybe put some dogs and people in the car all 'freakin' out because Eric is the driver!

Anyway, I created this card as a backup and I do really like it, even if I don't wind up using it for Eric. I suppose I could very easily swap out the 'son' and change it to 'dad' or some other 3 letter word.

So, the recipe is as follows: DSP: Good morning sunshine, ribbon - chocolate chip - wide satin. Card Stock - Whisper white, chocolate chip and So Saffron and a library clip as an accent. The stamps are 'cheep talk' and 'wonderful favorites.'

Too cute - something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue!


Today's bloggers challenge was to do a baby card.

It's kind of a 'something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.' The punch was 'borrowed', the movers and shapers is kind of borrowed and/or new. My friend and I are 'sharing' it and it's my month to use it!!!.

the image is super old - retired many years ago and of course the something blue is the DSP in blissful blue.

I didn't have the energy to make this card in pink also - I would have had to do a whole new color scheme for that AND this one went through several revisions because it wasn't perfect AND my husband touched it with chocolate sauce on his hands!!! Maybe I'll do a pink one tomorrow!

I used the Big Shot with the movers and shapers curly label to cut out the curly label from the Sahara Sand card stock that made up the card. Then I did another cut out using the blissful blue DSP. The image is an oldie but a goodie that I got in a set off e-bay last year. It's called too cute and the image is the cutest little baby - all happy and excited.

I put the sentiment on the punched out white image and then glued it to a So Saffron scrap and added two square brads. The ribbon is Kraft Taffeta - another favorite.

To add a tad of contrast I took a sheet of So Saffron and put it through the Big Shot so the Too Cute image is actually attached to a slightly larger curly label and, of course, the too cute curly label image is raised up so it actually pops out of the card.