Fiesta llamas

I can't believe how quickly October has flown by. It's always a little bittersweet to see the end of this month. I love everything about autumn, but all the family birthdays and activities combined with the crafty things I want to do on top of working and keeping up with everyday chores and responsibilities all make me feel like there's barely time to breathe. So the beginning of November gives me a little time to relax -- until the craziness starts again with Thanksgiving.

But before I start fretting about the holidays, I've got loads of birthday cards to share. I'll get the ball rolling with a couple of llamas who are ready to party ... I mean, fiesta.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Fiesta
Paper: 80-lb white cover card stock (Cougar); Llama Love paper pad (Craft Smith); Orchid Opulence, Lemon Lime Twist, Cucumber Crush card stock
Ink: Tranquil Tide
Accessories: All Year Cheer washi tape, copper sequins (Craft Medley), Dimensionals, clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, Skinny Mini Party Borders dies

This is a larger card (5" x 7") that I made for my sister's 40th birthday. A big birthday requires a big card, right?

I started with the panel at the top of the card, which was one of the pre-printed designs in the Llama Love paper pad. There were two pages with this design, so I cut the first page into a square. With the second page I fussy cut the llamas and used Dimensionals to attach them over the llamas on the first page. I spruced up the background with a few die-cut streamers and copper sequins.

For the bottom part of the card front I used another pattern from the same paper pad. I covered the seam between the two papers with copper washi tape, which I also added to the end of a banner stamped with a sentiment. It's hard to see in the photo, but I also added a little sparkle by painting Wink of Stella glitter on the llamas' blanket and collar.

Here's a peek at the inside of the card. I couldn't leave the inside just plain white, so I added a few more purple and green streamers along the top.

I mailed this card to my sister at work so she had something fun to put on her desk. Fiesta llamas have to make the worst day at work at least a little better!

I also wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe Halloween! It's a pretty quiet holiday in our household. We have a few decorations up and treats to hand out to any kids who come to our door. (We did have one little trick-or-treater already. He was dressed as a Paw Patrol character, and his dad was teaching him how to knock on the door and say "Trick or treat!" So cute!) And we'll probably spend the evening watching some a paranormal- or ghost-themed show on TV. I didn't make any Halloween cards this year -- although I have some really cute Halloween stamp -- so I'll have to make that a goal for next year.

Thanks for stopping by!

Floral silhouettes card set

I'm off to craft weekend this afternoon, so I have a quick post today. That's fitting because I'm going to share a set of cards that was pretty quick to make.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Mango Melody, Lovely Lipstick, Granny Apple Green, Island Indigo, Basic Black card stock; alcohol ink card stock (YUPO)
Ink: Alcohol inks: Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow, Honeycomb; Aqua, Denim, Stream; Meadow, Lettuce, Botanical; Cranberry, Wild Plum, Eggplant (all Ranger)
Accessories: Wildflowers Thinlits (Sizzix - Tim Holtz), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), foam tape (3M), alcohol ink applicator (Ranger)

For each background I chose three similar shades of alcohol ink and applied a few drops of each color to a felt pad on an alcohol ink applicator tool. Then I dabbed the ink all over a piece of alcohol ink card stock. (Tip: When you need more felt pieces, instead of buying the refill pads, save some money by just buying a large piece of felt and cutting it into small pieces.)

Once I was happy with the colors, I arranged and adhered the die-cut silhouette flowers. I layered each focal piece on black card stock, leaving just a narrow border of the black. I used foam tape to add each piece on a bright coordinating card stock base. And that's it!

The friend who received this card set liked them so much she decided to frame them and hang them in her office. I'm going to keep that idea in mind, and maybe next time I'll just make home decor pieces. Thanks for stopping by!

October's Christmas cards

Yes, you read that title right. This month I have not one, but two Christmas card designs to share. I created both of them during a scrap day on my birthday. And without further ado, here they are:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Merry & Bright
Paper: Thick Very Vanilla card stock, Very Vanilla note cards and envelopes, Wood Textures Designer Series Paper (DSP) Stack
Ink: Early Espresso; Blends/Blendabilities: Shaded Spruce, Granny Apple Green, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Frost White shimmer paint, Clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, rhinestones, baker's twine trio pack, rhinestones, 1-3/8" square punch, Dimensionals, sponge dauber

I made twelve cards of this design, and I'm going to include them in the little treat bags I make for the mail carriers and various delivery people who stop at our house during the holidays. I wanted a simple design that was a general wintery card, so I pulled my Merry & Bright stamp set, which I've had for years. I just love the style of these images, so I try to use this set every few years or so. This card design ended up being a little more detailed than I expected, but I love the way it turned out.

I stamped the main images several times on sheets of thick Very Vanilla card stock and colored them with alcohol markers. It's hard to see in this photo, but I also added clear Wink of Stella to the uncolored parts of the snowman's hat. Once everything was ready, I punched out the images with a square punch.

For the card base I used Very Vanilla note cards and envelopes. I used Frost White shimmer paint to repeatedly stamp the snowflake cluster on the top part of the card base. Using Dimensionals I adhered the three images across the card base. Along the bottom of the card I added a strip of Wood Textures DSP with a green twine bow. A few rhinestones add a sparkly finishing touch.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Cheery Chirps, Christmas Sampler (Paper Smooches)
Paper: Thick Very Vanilla card stock, Tropical Surf card stock (My Colors Cardstock), Very Vanilla note cards and envelopes
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; gold paint pen (Sharpie); Blendabilities: Soft Sky, Old Olive
Accessories: Washi tape (Handmade Modern - Target), sequins (Paper Pumpkin leftovers), Dimensionals

The Cheery Chirps stamp set has three large bird images. I used one of the images for a few Christmas cards last year, so I wanted to use one of the other images this time. I love that this bird is the perfect size to fill the front of a note card.

I colored the bird images with Soft Sky Blendabilities and a gold paint pen and then cut them out by hand. Once I had the birds done, I couldn't figure out what to do with the rest of the layout. I had the perfect color sequins to use, but I also really liked the wide gold-printed washi tape. I just couldn't get them to play nicely together. (And I tried a lot of different possibilities.) I compromised by making a few cards using each embellishment. I also added a few bits of shimmery light blue card stock to bring in a little more color. (I hadn't brought any colored card stock with me to scrap day, but since we were at a giant craft store, I just brought my bird image out to the sales floor and found a piece of card stock that coordinated.) Which of these two cards do you like better?

I think I might be finished with my Christmas cards now. I still need to get out my card box to double-check my list from last year and see if I have any leftover cards, but for now I need to get started on other holiday projects. Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday weekend

Last Saturday was my birthday, and I had a crafty-good weekend. My friend Lisa and I took a little road trip to a not-too-far-away huge craft store, shopped 'till our eyes glazed over, spent a day making cards, and ate cupcakes in our hotel room (on both nights!).

Here is my haul after the first round of shopping. For someone who does not need -- and swears that she's not going to buy -- any more patterned paper, I ended up with a lot of patterned paper. But I fell in love with them and couldn't help myself. And it was my birthday. What are you going to do?

I focused on making Christmas cards during our crafting time. I made a couple of sets: one for the little treat packages I leave for the mail carrier and delivery people over the holidays and one set for my regular stash. I'll share those in my next post.

Lisa was busy making birthday cards and a mini calendar, all of which she will be giving as Christmas gifts.

On Friday night we ate at Star of India. I had mushroom masala and pashwari naan (naan seasoned with coconut and raisins). Yum! We had a little adventure getting there, because the directions told us to turn on a street that we couldn't find. We circled around and finally spotted the restaurant in a little strip mall and figured the "street" must have been the mall entrance.

For dinner on Saturday I was hungry for Mexican food, so we went to La Casita. I had grilled veggie fajitas and a horchata (a rice-based drink with cinnamon), which were delicious. I even had enough fajitas left over for lunch the next day.

And since it was my birthday, I decided a little fried ice cream (and a goofy picture) was in order.

Thanks for stopping by!

Here's the scoop

Happy birthday to me! Yep, today is my birthday, and I'm spending the day crafting -- and craft shopping! -- with my best crafty buddy. We even turned it into a little girls' weekend because, why not? In honor of my big day, here are a couple of sweet birthday cards.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Here's the Scoop (Concord & 9th)
Paper: Soft Sky, Whisper White card stock; Happy Day paper pad (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Soft Sky, Memento Tuxedo Black, black journaling pen
Accessories: Here's the Scoop dies (Concord & 9th), clear Wink of Stella glitter brush pen, red sequins (unknown), Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Mono Multi liquid glue

I love this yummy-looking sundae image, but I didn't feel like coloring it. So instead I decided to do some paper piecing. I used a paper pad so all the paper colors and patterns coordinated. Then I added a small banner and sentiment to the bowl.

For the card base I repeatedly stamped a large sentiment using Soft Sky ink and card stock, so it created a subtle tone-on-tone background. I doodled a border around the edge, and I love how it coordinates with the lines in the main image. I adhered the sundae to the middle of the card with Dimensionals, and Wink of Stella on the cherry and banner -- along with three red sequins -- added just a little sparkle.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Here's the Scoop (Concord & 9th)
Paper: Soft Sky, Whisper White card stock; Happy Day paper pad (My Mind's Eye); Wood designer card stock paper (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Soft Sky, Memento Tuxedo Black, black journaling pen, Mocha Stampin' Blendabilities marker
Accessories: Here's the Scoop dies (Concord & 9th), Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Stickles (Ranger), red enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet), Bitty Banner punch, Dimensionals, Mono Multi liquid glue

This is kind of a stepped-up version of the previous card: same images, papers and colors, but just a little more "stuff." For this card I added some chocolate syrup to my sundae. (There's a special squiggly stamp in the set that creates the lines for the syrup - cool!) I wanted the syrup to be opaque, so first I colored over it a few times with a dark brown alcohol marker. Then I covered it with Stickles glitter glue.

I used another Soft Sky card base, but for this background I stamped along the left edge with a sprinkle image and  added a strip of white card stock stamped with a few repeating sentiments. Below the sundae I placed an oval of woodgrain-patterned paper to look like a shadow. I used red enamel dots in place of sequins and added a little banner to the upper right corner. Almost good enough to eat!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

A sublime birthday

It's been raining for days in my neck of the woods, and I'm not entirely sure that it will ever stop. So it seems appropriate to post a water-themed card this evening.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: You Are Sublime (Lawn Fawn)
Paper: Brilliant Blue, Whisper White, Granny Apple Green, Call me Clover card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Brilliant Blue; alcohol markers - Cool Gray, Lettuce Green (Copic) and Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, Smoky Slate (Blends/
Blendabilities); white gel pen
Accessories: Shadow Box Card Ocean Add On dies and You Are Sublime dies (Lawn Fawn), Stitched Shapes Framelits dies, Tide embossing folder (Lifestyle Crafts), Colorburst Powders (Ken Oliver), fish brads (Recollections), Morning Dew Nuvo Drops (Tonic Studios), Dimensionals

The multicolor circle piece was leftover from a long-ago play session with Colorburst powders. It always had an ocean feel to me, so I turned it into the background for this little submarine scene.

I stamped, colored and die cut the submarine, seaweed/coral and bubbles and arranged them on a circular piece of the Colorburst background. (I like how the circle shape repeats in the bubbles and submarine windows.) It's hard to tell in the photo, but I also applied clear Nuvo Drops to the windows and bubbles to add a little dimension.

I used Dimensionals to attach the focal piece to a Brilliant Blue card base layered with a panel of Brilliant Blue card stock embossed with s swirling water texture. A few whimsical fish brads finish off the front of the card.

Inside I added a panel of white card stock and stamped the birthday sentiment in Brilliant Blue ink in the middle of the panel. Then I surrounded it with a few colorful fish. When I colored the fish I tried to create a scaly texture by first adding a layer of solid color and then dotting the marker over the colored area. I think it's a fun little detail.

For the last little accent I added a few pieces of die-cut seaweed that I had left over from the ocean shadow box card I shared a few months ago. I try to save those extra bits and pieces whenever possible because you never know when they'll come in handy. I just slip them into the package with the coordinating stamps and/or dies.



 

Thanks for stopping by!

A night out

Earlier this week my sister celebrated her 40th birthday. We went out for a delcious family dinner at a local vegan restaurant and then afterward the two of us went to see the musical Hamilton. It was so good! Other than clips I’d seen here and there, I didn’t know a lot about the story beforehand (I’m definitely not a history buff). But we listened to the soundtrack a couple of times the day before so we were familiar with the music, and we had a great time. Here are a few pre-show pictures:

I don’t go out to the theater as often as I would like, but I always enjoy it. And I would definitely recommend seeing Hamilton if you have the chance. Thanks for stopping by!

Card ideas for patterned paper

I don't know about you, but I often have a hard time using patterned paper when I'm making cards. Even if I love the colors and the design, sometimes I just can't seem to make it "work." Or, confession time, sometimes patterned paper just seems too pretty to actually use! Well, today I'm going to share three different card layouts with patterned paper that you can use when you need a little inspiration or a little push to use up some of your paper stash.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock; patterned paper, purple card stock (Close to My Heart)
Ink: White gel pen
Accessories: Celebrate die (Close to My Heart), Balloon Bouquet punch, white crochet thread (DMC), glitter enamel dots, Dimensionals

This is a layout that's perfect when you want the patterned paper to stand out, and it works whether your card has a portrait or landscape orientation. Just cut the patterned paper so one piece is about twice the width of the other, and choose two complimentary patterns. Use a more subtle pattern to balance a very bold or colorful one. For instance, a multicolor flower pattern looks great with tone-on-tone stripes or small polka dots. For this card the green geometric print is actually the reverse side of the colorful "seed" print, which worked out great.

Then you just need to add your focal element(s). I used one bold color to avoid more busy-ness and added a die-cut word, two balloons and three enamel dots. Another option is to cover the "seam" between the patterned papers with a strip of ribbon or card stock and then place your focal image (such as a sentiment in a die-cut circle) on top the ribbon.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Balloons (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock, gold glimmer paper; patterned paper, purple card stock (Close to My Heart)
Ink: Gorgeous Grape, gold paint pen (Sharpie)
Accessories: 1-1/4" circle punch, Merry Minis punch pack, Baker's Twine Trio, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Dimensionals

This layout is a great way to use up scraps of paper that are too pretty to just toss in the recycle bin. The grid pattern can be made with just about any shape -- circles, squares, stars, hearts, flowers, etc. -- so you can customize your card for the recipient or for a specific occasion. And you can have an order to the shapes (my colors/patterns go in diagonal lines) or leave it random.

I wanted to add a sentiment to the front of my card, so I swapped out one of the green patterned circles for a white one stamped with a small greeting. To help it stand out more I added gold dots around the edge of the circle. A bit of gold twine and three gold stars finish it off.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Varied Vases
Paper: Berry Burst, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Whisper White card stock; patterned paper (Close to My Heart)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Pansy punch, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, rhinestones, White Perfect Accents, Sweet Sadie washi tape, Dimensionals

This is a Crazy Z Fold-style card, and I simply used the patterned paper for the background on each panel of the card base. For the focal image I used a couple of different flower punches and bright card stock colors that coordinate with the patterned paper. (Here's a tip: The leaves and the yellow flowers are made with the same punch. I just punched a green flower and then snipped the petals apart to create leaves.) The different fold and extra layer of this card make it feel a little more "special," which I think makes it easier to use up some of those extra-special papers.

I hope you found a layout, tip or idea to inspire you when using patterned papers on your cards. Thanks for stopping by!