Sunday, August 21, 2011

A Thousand Sheets of Paper


Seriously, Amy at A Thousand Sheets of Paper has, literally, a thousand sheets of paper up for grabs on her blog. I've never actually looked at that much paper all at one time before. Can you imagine winning something like this? Well, actually, I CAN! :) :) Head on over to Amy's blog to enter!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Fifty Years--Wow!

I made this card for my mother to give to some dear friends of hers who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary today. I loved Mojo Monday's sketch, which is both easy to follow and absolutely gorgeous, and really like how it turned out. 

I am always excited when someone asks me to make a card for them, because it gives me an excuse to buy more paper! Something I never have enough of! Which is exactly what I did here! Beautiful beautiful paper! Paper paper paper!!!!

Can you tell I have a bit of an addiction? :)

Recipe:

K&Company Elegance papers (LOVE THIS!)
K&Company Elegance bling
Recollections tiny roses
Recollection gingko leaves
Spellbinders Circle and Scalloped Circle dies
EK Success border punch
Martha Stewart border punch
Recollections pearl and lace border
Tim Holtz button
Stick pins I made
Scrunchy seam binding from stash

Challenges:

Mojo Monday--sketch
Totally Gorjuss--something round
Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog--scallops and/or fancy borders
Wags 'n Whiskers--sparkly
Ruby's Rainbow--gems
The Sisterhood of Crafts--anniversary
Stamp 'n Doodle--ribbon, die cut and pearls
Quirky Crafts Challenges--numbers

Friday, August 12, 2011

Perfect Timing


This card is the result of the perfect timing of two of my favorite challenge blogs: Midnight Madness (sketch) and Lily of the Valley (thank you card), plus one blog new to me: Gltter Geeks (photo inspiration). I had already bought the paper on sale from Michael's, and immediately knew the California Poppy Thank You digistamp I had nabbed from Operation Write Home would be perfect for it, but I had no immediate need for a Thank You card, that is, until I came upon LOTV's challenge. So, with all three challenges in mind, I went for it, and the result is the card you see above. 

Recipe:

K&Company Watercolor Bouquet paper
Recollections Hot Pink Gingham paper
Recollections light blue pearl paper
C'oredinations yellow pearl paper
Spellbinders Nestabilities Lacey Squres 
EK Success border punch
Sizzix branch with leaves die
Copics
Button and Pearl Cotton thread from stash

Challenges:

Midnight Madness--sketch
Lily of the Valley--thank you card
Glitter Geeks--photo inspiration
The Poodles Parlor--Round and Round the Garden
The Stamp Man--anything goes with summer colors
Craft us Crazy--anything goes


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

I'm on a roll!


I have yet another card to show you today. I've sold a few things on e-bay, and I always include a Thank-You card in the package. I've only done this about six times, so it's not a big deal, but it always gives me an excuse to play, and I had a lot of fun making this card. I followed Inspirational Card Sketch's sketch on this one, and quite like it. 

I wish I were a better photographer, because the colors are much more vibrant IRL. I've been playing around with lighting and stuff, trying to get more accurate pictures, but this one just wouldn't cooperate. I even purchased an "Ottlite" lamp, hoping it would make the colors more accurate, but it obviously didn't help, for this card's pink is very pink, not coral like it's showing here, and the colors of the flowers are much deeper than what you see.  I've seen some people set up very elaborate photo staging, and to be honest, I thought it was much ado about nothing. Now, I wish I'd paid more attention, because I could use some of that ado!

Recipe:

Basic Grey's Out of Print papers (Still love them!)
Recollections light-blue pearlized paper
Stampendous Flower Fields Woodland stamp
Spellbinders Lacey Squares die
Spellbinders Pennant die
EK Success Border Punch
Stampendous transparent embossing powder
Copics
Colorbox black pigment ink
Recollections sparkly butterfly
Seam binding ribbon from stash

Challenges:

Bearly Mine--Charm the spots off you (use spots)
Ladybug Crafts Ink--favorite stamp (This really is my favorite stamp, even though I don't use it much. I was very happy to see it work on this card.)
Incy Wincy Designs--Something Old and Something New (the stamp is old, the Spellbinders Lacey Squares die is new ((just bought it today!))
The Poodle Parlor--something found in the garden

Notecard for My Sister-in-Law

  


I am making a set of monogrammed notecards for my SIL's upcoming birthday, and absolutely love how this one turned out, so much so that I decided to enter it in a few challenges.

I started out with three musts: the paper, the bling, and a layout different from the other notecards I'd already made. It took me the better part of the day to finally make it work, but once it did, it became my favorite card of the set.

Recipe:

Blue flowered paper from Joann (I'm not sure of the designer's name, but it's always in stock at Joann's.)
C'ordinations pearl white and navy papers
Recollections light blue pearl paper
Monogram "S" stamp
Recollections bling swirls
Tim Holtz button
Spellbinders Square, Scalloped Square, Circle and Scalloped Circle dies
EK Success border stamp
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder: Kassie's Brocade
Colorbox Midnight Pigment Ink
Seam binding from stash
Stick pins I made

Challenges:

Crazy Amigos--anything goes
Sweet Stamps--bling
Karen's Doodles Challenge Blog--buttons and bows
Ellphantastic--layers

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Sweet Sketch Wednesday sketch.


My newest favoritest choicest bestest-loved paper is Basic Grey's Out of Print. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! So, I went in search of a sketch I could follow that would highlight the paper and found one the fit perfectly at Sweet Sketch Wednesday. In fact, while paper is always a fundamental element to any card, I would say these papers, literally, decorate the card.

I don't have anyone in mind for this card, and will probably add a sentiment when an occasion arises, but maybe not. Hmmm. . . I'm thinking. What do you think?

I used a fun technique on the birdcase. First I heat embossed it in opaque white, then in clear enamel, and it looks like an aged white birdcage IRL. This probably sounds weird, but I really like it when I use a technique that makes an element almost look like I purchased it that way, yet anyone who takes the time to look at it will know I did it myself.

Recipe:

Basic Grey Out of Print papers
Tim Holtz Alterations birdcase and bird die
Stempendous white opaque embossing powder
Stampendous enamel embossing powder
Tim Holtz decorative button
Stick pins I made
Trim and crinkled seam binding from stash

Challenges:

Bearly Mine Challene--Charm the spots off you.
Clearly I Stamp--Things with wings.
Glitter Geeks--Furry and/or feathered friends.