Not a Card

My card for today's Tic Tac Toe Challenge is not a card!  I used the top row across - Anything but a Card, Sparkle, Ribbon / Twine.  For those you can't see it (and I admit it's difficult to see in this photo) there area few champagne rhinestones nestled in amongst the pebbles for my sparkle.

 

I was completely inspired by the very similar framed art that Stampin' Up! has in their catalog.  I changed up the design a bit and used a different paper but this idea is the same.

This 6 x 6 inch paper is WONDERFUL for quick scenes.  This took under an hour to create even with having to heat emboss the sentiment twice.  I somehow got grease on it and try as I did to find a way to use that as an "embellishment opportunity" it just didn't work!  The birds are stamped in Blackberry Bliss and I die cut the grass from some of the DSP.

The frame is 9 x 9 inches; I removed the glass but I put it between the picture and the easel backing to keep the thickness correct for the frame.

Super easy and I thought it would make a nice birthday present / card combo!

Products used: all Stampin' Up! (except for the frame)

• Paper: New Horizons Designer Series Paper
• Stamps / Die Bundle: On the Horizon Stamp & Die Bundle
  
• Accessories: Linen Thread, Pebbles Enamel Shapes, Soft Succulent Open Weave Ribbon, White (Basics) Embossing Powder, Champagne Rhinestones
  
• Cardstock: Basic White Thick, Crumb Cake
• Ink: Crumb Cake, Blackberry Bliss, Versamark
• Tools: Heat Tool
  

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Happy Happy Happy Birthday

I have a friend who always says "Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday!"  When I saw Bhavya's challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches today I immediately thought of her.

This is a simple card to make with the help of a Stamparatus.  The Stamparatus has removal plates that can be re-positioned in one inch increments.  That made lining up and stamping the word "happy" exactly one inch apart easy.  It also has two plates so I could put the word "birthday" on the second plate.  Using this system it is simple to make card multiples.  So I made two here to see what color I liked better.

We have a fun sketch challenge this week - please join us!

Products used: all Stampin' Up!

• Stamps: Biggest Wish
• Ink: Memento Black, Daffodil Delight, Coastal Cabana
• Card Stock: Basic White
• Accessories: Stamparatus
  

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Cup of Tea - New Stamp Set

I haven't been posting lately - lot's of things have been going on.  For one, I was in charge of our neighborhood Easter Brunch and Egg Hunt  with over 150 people.  Needless to say the week before was quite busy and the day after I was exhausted and had no energy for cards!  To top it off, I was the Easter Bunny!  It really was quite a fun time!

For this week's Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge I'm using a soon-t-be-released stamp and die bundle form Stampin' Up!  LeAnn gave us some beautiful soft colors that I thought would be perfect for this set.  To fill my teacup I used new dies called Natural Prints from the Nature's Prints bundle.  both of these sets are so pretty and versatile I know we'll be seeing quite a bit of them!

My background is embossed and then I used a paint called ArtC.  I've had this for quite awhile and I don't think it's made anymore.  It is glittery and in a color called silvergold which subs quite well with the Sahara Sand.  I used my finger and then a sponge dauber to apply it to the rasied part of the embossing and to the edges.  It gives an interesting shimmer to the background.

This will be a Mother's Day card for my mother-in-law.  I couldn't find a good place on the front for the sentiment so that will go on the inside.

Products used:  all Stampin' Up! except the ArtC paint

• Stamps/die Bundle: Cup of Tea
• Dies: Natural Prints, Scalloped Contours
• Card Stock: Basic White, Sahara Sand, Soft Succulent, Blushing Bride
• Accessories: Scripty 3D Embossing Folder, Polished Dots
  

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Design Decisions and Cards for Music Lovers

I have several themes that I collect for card making.  One of them is music.  I have many music lovers in my life - from musicians to concert buddies.  Music themed cards seem to be perfect for anyone.  My first card today I made this weekend “just because.”  It’s going to a friend of mine who plays guitar.

I was at his house last week and he commented that he had seen my cards on his wife’s iPad and thought they were beautiful.  I’m guessing he was looking through her Instagram account since we follow one another and that is where one would see all my cards together.  I thought it would be fun to give him his own card.

This card uses The Stamps of Life Diamond Flip-It with Hidden Panel, You Rock sentiment die and their Guitars2play stamp and die set.  It also uses Honey Bee Stamps Rockstar Sentiments.

My second card I made last fall for my husband’s birthday.  We went to a Rolling Stones concert the day before so I thought this particularly fitting.  It uses the same stamp and dies and the Side Pop Out Card Base from TSOL.

The coloring on the guitars is fairly simple.  Deciding on the colors for the cards like these is what takes me the most time.  These fun fold cards rely on patterned papers to make the elements “pop”.  So you need to have a good combination of patterns AND colors.  There needs to be contrast in the colors in hue and in value and therealso needs to be a pleasing mix of patterns.  I discuss these decisions and how I make them in these posts - Mixing Patterns, Patterns Color and Paper, and Mono-tonal Colors.

Products used:

 

Card 1

• Stamps and dies: TSOL Guitars2play, You Rock, Honey Bee Stamps Rockstar Sentiments
• Card die: TSOL Diamond Flip-It with Hidden Panel
• Paper: Stampin’ Up! I am Me DSP, Neutrals DSP, Basic Grey, Pool Party, So Saffron, Real Red
• Color Palette: Basic grey, Real Red, So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Pool Party

Card 2

• Stamps and Dies: TSOL Guitars2play, You Rock
• Card die: Side Pop Out Card Base
• Paper: Stampin’ Up! Best Route, Blueberry Bushel, Mango Melody, Pineapple Punch
• Color Palette: Gray Granite, Blueberry Bushel, Mango Melody, Pineapple Punch
  

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Tuesday Color Challenges

My first card today is for the color challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches.  Our host this month is Bhavya who started us off with colors perfect for a floral image.

I’ve been using a lot of die cuts lately - I feel I don’t have the time to do coloring and die cuts are so much quicker.  This card is made with the Wreath builder dies from Stampin’ Up!.  I’ve used this die set quite a bit and it’s one of those “keep forever” items in my craft room.   For my flower centers I used opalescent gems.

My second card is for the Splitcoaststampers color challenge where Mary gave us Misty Moonlight, Old Olive and White with any additional color for dessert.

 

My card here just evolved.  I decided to use the Paradise Palms stamp set but what I had originally thought about looked NOTHING like this.  After trying out the embossed background in the Crumb Cake (it was going to be white), I thought it needed a little something more so I added the shells, linen thread and faux sea glass.  

I suppose my dessert is Coastal Cabana (the sea glass) since all the other colors I added are neutrals and allowed by the challenge.  The distress inks I used on the shells are matches for the challenge colors and Coastal Cabana.

Products used:

 

Card 1

• Stamps: Stampin’ Up! Shaded Summer 
• Dies: Stampin’ Up! Wreath (from the Arrange a Wreath stamp and die bundle)
• Cardstock: Soft Succulent, Polished Pink, Garden Green
• Accessories:  Opal Rounds

Card 2

• Stamps: Stampin’ Up! Paradise Palms
• Dies: Stampin’ Up! Layering Squares and Stitched Shapes
• Ink: Old Olive, Misty Moonlight, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, DO Antique Linen, Speckled Egg, Bundled Sage (used to shade the shells)
• Cardstock: Basic White, Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse, Very Vanilla
• Accessories: Coastal Weave embossing folder, linen thread, Faux Sea Glass Shapes

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