What a week!

I know this is my only blog post for the week, but it's been a busy one. It started with craft weekend, then there was a birthday celebration for my brother, an evening volunteer event at a local school, and a dinner out with a good friend. That's all on top of eight straight days of work (five down, three to go). Whew! I'm actually pretty pleased I'm getting this post done.

Craft weekend was, as always, great fun, and I was especially productive this year. I had an impossible time trying to decide what projects to work on, so I finally settled on completing some kits. I packed five Stampin' Up! kits -- two Paper Pumpkin, Oh Happy Day, Designer Tin of Cards and Stitched with Cheer -- and finished all of them! That's a total of seventy cards. Not too shabby, right? And they were needed, too. I've almost depleted my stash of birthday cards, and I need to start a collection of cards to give to my grandma, too.

I don't know yet if I'll post any of those cards on my blog since I mostly followed the kit instructions while making them. But I did also make a few of "my own" cards, including this one, which uses several leftover kit pieces.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Mint Macaron card base (from Paper Pumpkin kit), floral pattern strip and striped banner pieces (from Oh Happy Day kit), Basic Black card stock, Wood designer 6" x 6" card stock paper (My Mind's Eye)
Accessories: Butterflies Thinlits dies, metallic foil doilies, gold sequins (The Makery - Hazel & Ruby), yellow and white twine (from Oh Happy Day kit), Glue Dots

I really like how this card turned out with the combination of "shabby" from the weathered wood patterned paper and shiny from the sequins and doily. And I have to thank my friend Lisa for the idea to add a butterfly, because I could not figure out what to use as the focal image. I was thinking about a large die-cut flower, but the butterfly is perfect because it leaves more of the patterned paper visible.

That's it from me this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Falling for plaid

I'm back to fall cards, at least for today. This fun card features a few plaid trees:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Fall Colors (Endless Creations)
Paper: Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight card stock; Perfectly Plaid Fall petite paper pack (Lawn Fawn)
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Build-a-Scene Trees dies, Leaves die, and Sun and Clouds dies (Taylored Expressions); linen thread; Season of Style washi tape; Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen; Mono Multi liquid glue; Dimensionals

Aren't they fun? I love the colors in this paper pack, and I think the plaid patterns are great for treetops. I cut six tree trunks from two different shades of brown card stock and adhered them across a Sahara Sand card base. The third tree from the left is adhered with Dimensionals; the others are glued down flat. Then I added the treetops, again attaching one with Dimensionals.

I wanted a subtle border along the bottom of the card, so I used a strip of Sahara Sand washi tape. I also added a die-cut sun in the upper right corner -- clear, sunny fall days are the best! -- and a linen thread bow on one of the trees.

Inside the card I stamped a sentiment that goes perfectly with the colorful trees. I also added a few tiny leaves die cut from scraps of the plaid paper.

I'm working on another card that uses the tree dies in an unexpected way, but I haven't found the right layout yet. Here's hoping I'll have that one finished soon!



Thanks for stopping by!

Dress form triple-circle card

Next weekend I'm spending several days with a friend for our annual craft weekend. I've been looking forward to it for months, and in honor of the occasion I have a sewing-related card to share today.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White, Basic Black card stock; Let's Polka in the Meadow petite paper pack (Lawn Fawn); silver foil paper
Accessories: Triple Circle Card-Making die (The Paper Cut), Dress Up Framelits dies, Handmade Charms die (Taylored Expressions), Lacy Brocade embossing folder, rhinestones, mini silver brad, silver metallic thread, 1-1/4" circle punch, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Fine-Tip Glue Pen

I used the Triple Circle Card-Making die from The Paper Cut to make the card base and to cut the blue patterned paper to exactly the right shape to layer on the card front.

To contrast with the light-colored paper, I used Basic Black card stock to cut out the dress form and three 1-1/4" circles to layer on the circles in the card base.

I embossed the dress form with a feminine, lacy-looking embossing folder and adhered it to the middle of the card front. To embellish it I added a "necklace" of tiny rhinestones and three silver sequins.

For the inset circles, I decided to add three small sewing-related die-cut shapes. I wanted to give the die-cuts a little "oomph," so I used silver accents. The simplest shape was the sewing machine; that one I just cut from silver foil paper. For the spool, I die cut the shape out of white card stock and wrapped it with metallic silver thread.

The scissors was the trickiest, but the most fun. I cut the shape out of white card stock and silver foil. I trimmed just the handles off the white scissors and adhered them over the handles on the silver scissors. Then I placed a mini silver brad at the top of the scissor blades to look like the screw that holds together a real scissors. (Looking at the card now, I think I should have also added a couple of mini brads to the sewing machine die-cut to look like buttons.)

I attached the spool shape to the middle black circle using Dimensionals. The other two are glued down flat.

Inside the card I added a strip of light green polka dot paper to the right edge. I cut the strip wide enough to fill the space behind the circles plus a little extra. That leaves plenty of room to write a note or stamp a sentiment inside the card -- and it also provides a "boundary" for your message if you don't want to see the writing when the card is closed.



Thanks for stopping by!

Sweet little lamb

I'm taking a short break from the fall cards to share a more spring-like card starring a sweet little lamb.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Storybook Friends
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White, Basic Black card stock; Let's Polka paper - Freshly Cut Grass (Lawn Fawn)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Smoky Slate and Skin Tone Blendabilities assortments; YG09 and C1 markers (Copic)
Accessories: Corner rounder, Frosted Sequins, Dimensionals

This was the card that accompanied a lamb-themed baptism gift for one of my cousins. My sister and I had picked out a board-book Bible with a soft lamb cover and a plush lamb toy, so I decided the card should have a lamb, too. And this image from Storybook Friends was perfect.

I stamped the image on Whisper White card stock and added just a little color with various alcohol markers. I cut the card stock into a square, rounded the corners and adhered it to a mat of Basic Black card stock so just a narrow border of black was visible. Using Dimensionals I adhered the focal panel to a thick white card base with a background of green polka dot paper. For a simple embellishment I added three silver sequins.

I have one more fall card left to post, but I'm hoping to make a couple more this weekend. (My work schedule may get in the way, but I'll do my best.) Thanks for stopping by!

Foxy Friends

One of the first things that caught my eye in the 2016 - 2017 Stampin' Up! catalog was the Foxy Friends bundle. I love all the different animals you can create with the stamps and punch. Here is my first creation:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Foxy Friends
Paper: Soft Sky, Very Vanilla, Cajun Craze, Baked Brown Sugar, Old Olive card stock
Ink: Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Fox Builder punch, Stitched Hillside Border Lawn Cuts dies (Lawn Fawn), cotton ribbon, The Makery champagne sequins (Hazel and Ruby), Herringbone embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Glue Dots, Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals

I punched out the pieces for the fox, glued them together and then stamped his eyes and front legs. To give him a place to sit, I stamped the tree stump image and then cut it out by hand.

For the background I started with a Soft Sky card base and then embossed a piece of Old Olive card stock and cut it with a stitched hillside die. I stamped a few of the mushroom and leaf elements along the hillside to add details to the scene and adhered the tree stump and fox with Dimensionals.

For embellishment I added a few sequins at the top of the card and tied a piece of cotton ribbon around the bottom of the card. Simple, but cute.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thoughtful Branches for fall

When Stampin' Up! introduced the limited-time Thoughtful Branches stamp set and die bundle last summer, I couldn't decide if I should buy it. It was on my list, and then off. Multiple times. But I saw so many beautiful cards online using the set that I finally caved and bought it. And then it sat in my craft room for weeks while I was busy with other projects.

Last week I had a chance to ink up the stamps to make this fall card:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Thoughtful Branches
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla card stock; Perfectly Plaid Fall petite paper stack (Lawn Fawn)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Linen thread, sequins - Box of Chocolate assortment (Craft Medley), sponge, Dimensionals

I used another new product -- the Perfectly Plaid Fall petite paper stack -- for the background on my card, adhering a piece to a Chocolate Chip card base. I chose my color palette from the plaid paper, first stamping the tree trunks, ground and sentiment using Chocolate Chip ink on Very Vanilla card stock. Then I stamped the tree tops with Real Red, Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie. For each tree I stamped the leaves twice without re-inking the stamp to make them look a little fuller.

I sponged the edges of the focal layer with Chocolate Chip ink and wrapped linen thread around the panel, tying it off in a bow. I added three sequins to the panel and adhered it to the card base with Dimensionals.

Inside I used another piece of Very Vanilla card stock. I stamped the sentiment and a few falling leaves in the same colors as the front of the card. Behind the panel I adhered a matching strip of patterned paper. (The pad is 6" x 6", so this strip was just leftover from trimming a piece to fit the card front.)

I really like this finished card, and I'm glad I decided to buy the Thoughtful Branches bundle. I have yet to use the dies, but I know I'm sure I'll enjoy them as much as the stamps.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jump for joy

Last Saturday, October 1, was World Card Making Day. My day, however, was taken up with work and then a fun dinner-and-a-movie evening with my sister and a friend. So I had my own card-making day on Sunday. I had fun working on some autumn cards, and the first one I made was a birthday card for my sister.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Jump for Joy (Lawn Fawn), On Your Birthday
Paper: Early Espresso, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, Marina Mist, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Early Espresso, colored pencils and blender pencil (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Jump for Joy Lawn Cuts dies (Lawn Fawn), Grassy Border Lawn Cuts die (Lawn Fawn), clear and gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pens, copper cord (unknown), sequins - Box of Chocolate assortment (Craft Medley), Glue Dots, Dimensionals

My sister loves hedgehogs, so this seemed like a great card for her. I stamped the images with Early Espresso ink on white card stock and then colored them with colored pencils. I die cut the images and a grassy border and assembled the pieces in a little scene. I wanted to add some sparkle, so I colored the yellow and orange leaves, as well as the owl's beak and feet, with Wink of Stella glitter brush pens and added three coppery sequins.

I stamped an Early Espresso card base with one of the leaf images and wrapped copper cord around the right side of the card front. I adhered the focal panel to the center of the base with Dimensionals.

Inside the card I stamped a birthday sentiment and several bunches of leaves. I had intended to just stamp the leaves directly on the white layer. Unfortunately, I smeared one of the images, so I decided to cover it up with a die-cut leaf. Since I didn't want that single leaf to stand out, I die cut several leaves and mixed them in with leaves stamped on the white layer. As the saying goes, there are no mistakes, only opportunities for embellishment.

I'll be sharing a few more fall cards later this week. Thanks for stopping by!