Fall Is Approaching

I am in the mood to make fall cards.  I had found some vellum with scattered leaves on it so wanted to use it on a card.  Of course once you layer things on it, you don't see many of the leaves on the vellum as on this card.

I used the weekly sketch from Freshly Made Sketches - I liked all the layers.

I have a packet of paper (old packet) from Cosmo Cricket - the colors are great.  The package has stickers with it so I decided to use some of those for my layers.  The sentiment and the arrow are part of the collection.  The vellum and greenish square of pattern paper is just stitched to the under layer of red.  The leaf is cut with my Silhouette.  

One more fall card done.  I think I will send this to my Mom - she is such a blessing to all of us.  

Come back tomorrow for a fun announcement.

CAS(E) This Sketch

I enjoy making cards in the fall.  I have a thing for tree stamps and leaf stamps so be prepared to see lots in the upcoming months.  I also found some fall fabric - so be prepared for cards with images from this fabric.  Oldie Moldie Monday used one image and this Monday's post will be using it again.  But I digress.

Today I made a card using the weekly sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch - I always find using an off angle piece on your card interesting.  Sometimes for me - it doesn't turn out so well - but this one did.  I really like the simplicity of it.  It would work as a masculine card also.

Here is the sketch.

Here is my version.  I don't know if I have ever used this stamp before.  It is from Memory Box.  I embossed it with ZING brown embossing powder.  I then colored the image with distress paints.  I had to combine some colors and a little gelato to get my trunk color.  The halo around the tree (I don't know what else to call it) is two shades of distress paint combined.  The sky and grass are more watered down distress paints.  I won't win any contests for my landscapes but I think it turned out OK.  I added a sweet sentiment from Endless Creations - a Wisconsin stamp company. I dry embossed a piece of Kraft with a woodgrain folder and inked it a little.  It was glued directly to the card base.  The image and sentiment were pop dotted.  I then added a few sequins.

I am also going to put it in the challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - which is Witch-Kraft.  Hey I did use Kraft paper - but no witch - unless you are calling me that today.

It is raining off and on today so a good day to stay inside.  Now I must go do dishes.  I took dinner to some neighbors and my kitchen is a disaster still.

Happy Saturday

Friday - More Unity Stamps

Friday - the day I try to share a card I made using a Unity stamp or stamps - the Unity Blog has Friends With Flair on Friday - so I try to play along.  I think it is safe to post my daughter's birthday card here - I would be very surprised if she ever looked at my blog.  Plus she is away for a wedding this week end.

the card is larger than an A2.  This is wonderful paper and had the patterned paper with the little bikes on it so it was perfect to use for this card.  The paper is by Basic Grey.  The stamps are by Unity.  (insert smile here).

I am also going to place it in the Anything Goes challenge on the Wednesday Simon Says Stamp challenge blog.  

A long week end - I took today off to try and accomplish some things around the house.  Enjoy your day and week end.

Penny Black Poppy Stamp

I am trying to make some sympathy cards so I have them on hand.  They are so hard to make when you need them.

This Penny Black stamp was stamped with a light distress ink.  I colored it with gelatos - I think - I know I used a water color technique to color the flower.  I did the coloring a couple weeks ago so I don't remember exactly what I did.  It was hard to make it into a card once I got it colored.  I added a light watercolor background with a few splatters of color.  Which was a result of accidently getting some splatters on the background so then you had to have more.  I added a piece of patterned paper (just a peek) on each side and it was mounted onto a gray card base.  A SRM Sticker was added for the sentiment.  I have even finished the inside of the card.

Enjoy your Tuesday.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.  In a former life, I sewed and worked in a fabric store for over 10 years.  My love of fabric has never really gone away and my skills of putting colors and textures together has helped me with card making.

I had bought this piece of fabric with fall images on it and was going to use it for cards - and how many years ago was that.  Who knows - but I decided to use it for my first fall card.  I also used an older collection from Authentique paper, old ribbon, old button and some stickers I have had for quite awhile.

The card measures 4.5  x  6 inches.  The fabric on the card is the scarecrow image and the rust strip under the sentiment.  I adhered a lite iron on adhesive to the back of my fabric and then adhered it to some card stock.  This gives your fabric some stability.  Once I cut the fabric out, I ran a black marker along the edge of the fabric because I tried to keep the black lines that were part of the design.  I did some distressing with my Tim Holtz distress tool.  Pop dotted the image and sentiment.

I think I will make some more fall cards with this fabric.  Come back next Monday maybe there will be another oldie moldie Monday card with some of this same fabric.

It is Monday - blah - but I am working a 4 day week so I can have an extra long week end.

Fusion Challenge

The Fusion Challenge has a great sketch and wonderful colors in their inspiration photo.  I actually used both in my card.  The sketch is a variation of a favorite layout for me - I like to do the layers with them off angles from each other like this sketch.

I have been playing with my gelatos, gesso and dictionary pages.  The start of card for me was I had done something and I had swiped some paper across the leftover paint so it did not go to waste.  You come up with some of the best backgrounds for card making this way.  The flower is stamped on this piece of paper.  I then had to create some coordinating colors to go with the flower.  The colors are so bright and cheerful.  I had a little strip leftover for the sentiment so had to find a sentiment I could stamp on it.

The sentiment and flower are Hero Art stamps.  Hint - when stamping on the gelatos even my Versafine Ink does not dry that fast and I always end up smearing it.  Today I decided to clear emboss it and it works great plus your black has a sheen to it now.  I added a little dry embossing to the main layer.

I added some embellishments scattered around the card.  I struggle with that.  Hopefully I achieved the correct balance.  I took a few off.

Enjoy the remainder of your Sunday.  I took a short nap.

Mixed Media Birthday Card

This month the challenge on the Mixed Media Card Challenge blog is to make a summer card and if you wish add some burlap.

I had been playing with acrylic paints in a old book and had added embossing paste through a stencil.  I was going to do a journal - well - that did not last long - but I had this great page of mixed media paper I had made and I did not want to throw it away.  Very slowly it has made it into a couple cards.  I think the colors scream "Summer" so thought I would use it for this challenge.  It also screams "Happy".  (See paper does talk to me).  If I remember correctly, it is two pages of the book glued together with gel medium.  I add a layer of gesso on each side and then go to town with whatever mediums I want to use.  This time it was bottles of acrylic paint (inexpensive so you can lots of different colors).  Are you ready - here it is.

It is a larger card but it is a birthday card for a very good friend.  She deserves a special birthday card.  I stamped the butterfly in white embossing powder on another sheet of paper I had made.  It was just teal and it stood out too much so I dabbled different colors of acrylic paint over it to bring in the hues of the background paper.  The sentiment was white embossed on vellum (I need to find some heavier clear vellum).  After the card was assembled, I thought it needed some more white to tie in the white mat and embossing.  I used my Big Pen to dab white circled diagonally across the card.  Some pearls and enamel dots were added to the card.  The sentiment and butterfly are from Hero Arts.

Since the paper was a "work of art" I decided to mat it like an art piece.  I used a small mat of a dark teal, added a larger mat of white and then another shade of teal. Birthday card done and I am so happy with it.  It is such great therapy to get messy.

I am also entering this in the current challenge on the Monday Simon Says challenge blog.  The current challenge is "Anything Goes".

Thanks for stopping by.  Now that I have had my therapy I must accomplish something.  I need to go to the post office, get some food and I was thinking of running to Janesville but I did say I was going to hibernate.

Another Friday Unity Creation and Mixed Media Mojo Tag

It is Friday - time for Friends with Flair on the Unity Blog.  I used a couple stamps from Unity.  The poppy image and the sentiment.  I used bright colors - they should make you "feel the joy".

The tag was cut by hand using a pattern from the Silhouette.  It is multi media paper with magazine page on top of it.  The two were adhered together with gel medium.  The magazine page was covered with gesso - I tried to achieve an ombre look with yellow, orange and red gelatos.  The image was stamped in Versamark and white embossing powder was used.  The same was done with the sentiment.  Some embossing paste was put through a stencil at the top of the tag.  I used another stencil to add some white squares with a Big Pen.  I used the end of a pen to add some pink dots to a couple places on the tag.  The bottom fringe is a piece of dictionary page that was gessoed and colored with gelatos.  I then pleated it and added to the bottom of the tag.  When I added this to the tag - it took an angle.  I added a layer of cord which was the perfect colors and then pop dotted the sentiment above the cord.  So the bottom elements are not straight but I think that is OK - I had better think - it is OK since I really can't do anything about it at this point.

I am entering this into the monthly challenge at Mixed Media Mojo where the challenge is to make a tag.

I am not sure what I will do with the tag.  It may go on a card.

Have a good Friday.

Oldie Moldie Monday

I bet you thought I had forgotten it was Monday and I needed to show some love to some old supplies.  No, I did not forget - I had to do some cooking for a potluck at work.

I found this paper from Cosmo Cricket - it is a packet so it has a couple sheet of images.  I used one of the  images on my card.  The card will go in my next Operation Write Home box.

Everyone enjoy what is left of Monday.

Tag You're It - Let's Try It

There is a new challenge blog - Tag You're It - and you make tags - clean and simple tags.  I do hope it is clean and simple - I do struggle with that.  They give you a tag that you take your inspiration from.  Here is the tag to inspire you.  It is beautiful.

The inspiration I am taking from this picture/tag is the hello and the flower.  I cut my shapes with the Silhouette and it is a small card in the shape of a tag.  It is going to my young friend in Australia.  Looking forward to seeing her in the fall when she returns and learn about all her adventures.

I off set my flower so that the white showed underneath it to pick up the white of the hello and also the center of the flower.  I layered 3 cuts of the flower together to have it be off the card base without using dimensionals.  I chose the colors because teal and pink are two of her favorite colors.  I added the pearls to pick up the color of the yellow strip I added on the bottom.  The paper is from American Crafts.

Friday - Time to Play With Unity Stamps

On Friday I try to post a card using some of my Unity Stamps an share it on Friends with Flair.  I am trying to use more of my Unity stamps but what do I do - but grab a stamp I have used before.

I decided I wanted to do a mixed media card - I love to play and get messy.

I am actually planning ahead - my youngest daughter celebrates her wedding anniversary in late September.  Don't you love those falling hearts that are really leaves.  It will probably gag Carrie - oh well.  The focal point of the card is a book page adhered to a piece of multi media paper with gel medium.  Gesso was added over the top.  The blue and green were gelatos.  The green did have other inks added to get a little more variation in the green grass.  The tree was heat embossed and it was colored in with distress paints and a Faber Castell Big Pen.  I added some embossing paste dots around the card.  The edges of all the papers were distressed.  I also wiped paint across some of the bottom mat which had been sanded also.  The sentiment and image are pop dotted.

I am also entering this card in to the Monday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp.  The challenge is Scratched Up.  Distressing, rubbing paint and ink over the paper, sanding paper - I think I nailed Scratched Up.

I also found another Mixed Media Challenge Site - Mixed Media and Watercolor - seem to be the hot picks in the world of card making right now.  Their monthly challenge is to use Stencils and Pastes.  I used a stencil  and embossing paste for my dots on the front of my card.

After I took the picture I did add glossy accents to all the hearts.

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your Friday and week end.

Paper Smooches Wednesday

Once again time to play the weekly Paper Smooches Spark Challenge.

This week the challenge is Picture Paper.  They show you a picture and you use it to inspire your card.  Here is the picture for this week.

I took the colors from the picture - pink and teal.  I also saw the tape in the picture.  I chose three colors of washi tape and added it in different directions on my card.  After I applied the washi tape, I embossed the front in a new Darice snowflake embossing folder - of course, you know I needed a new snowflake embossing folder.  I do have lots of white card stock to use up so it is good to have some choices.  I matted them in bright pink.  I stamped one of Paper Smooches cute snowmen, did a little coloring with Copics and matted and pop dotted it.  A sweet sentiment was added.

If you wish to shop for your own Paper Smooches stamps, just pop over to their store.

I am also entering it into the weekly challenge at Addicted to Stamps.  Their challenge is Holiday.  My little men are getting ready for the Christmas holiday.  They will go into my Operation Write Home box so some Hero can send them home to family or friends.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oldie Moldie Monday

It is Oldie Moldie Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.  This paper may not be that old - maybe a year or two.  It is from Authentique.  I love their 6 x 6 pads - each piece of paper has a solid on the back so it makes your layering so much easier.

I had this new Darice embossing folder and wanted to try it out.  Isn't it cute.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.  I will put this card in my next Operation Write Home Box.

Only one card made for today - busy week end on the road.  Enjoy your Monday if you can.

Operation Write Home and Our Daily Bread Designs

Every month Our Daily Bread Designs sponsors a challenge on the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps blog.  For each 25 cards - up to 50 cards - they will pay the postage on two boxes of cards being sent overseas.  How wonder is this.  Postage adds up so fast for a non profit such as OWH and the shipping of the cards overseas.  This month the challenge is stars.

I decided to use my Silhouette to cut my design.  Everything but the stamped sentiment and the stripe across the middle came from one file I purchased from the Silhouette Online Store.  It was hard picking the colors I wanted to use.

I think I am going to use that background for a stencil.  The Silhouette has so many wonderful files that are so versatile.  Last Friday - if you want to scroll back - I made a shaped card - the shape was a large spool of thread.

Well everyone enjoy your Sunday.

Friday - Time to Play With My Unity Stamps

It is Friday - time for Friends With Flair on the Unity Blog.  Time to show some love to my box of Unity stamps.

I have been wanting to use this shape on my Silhouette to make a shaped sewing card.  In days gone by - many many moons ago - I sewed - I sewed well - I worked over ten years in a fabric store.  I still love fabric but now - when I look at fabric sometimes - I think - this would make beautiful paper.  This cute stamp set from Unity was a great addition to the spool shaped card.  I decided to use a sentiment from the paper pad from We R Memory Keepers instead of using one of the sentiments from the stamp set.  This pad of paper is all sewing and artistic themed and has such beautiful colors in it.  I used the Martha Stewart button punch.  Some stitch stickers from SRM added the finishing touch to the card.

I am also entering this card in Virginia's View Challenge.  I have been wanting to participate in one of her challenges but time has not allowed it.  Today I accomplished it.  Her current challenge is for a shaped card.

Busy week end - I hope to make some cards on Sunday but who knows.  At least I will have to make my Oldie Moldie Monday cards.  Enjoy your week end.

Anything Goes With Paper Smooches

Can you believe it is Wednesday and I am posting a card to the Paper Smooches Sparks weekly challenge?

The challenge this week is Anything Goes.  Those are good challenges. This week I needed to make a card for a bridal shower.  I always struggle with cards for bridal showers - what do you use.  I guess anything goes.

I have been taking the Online Card Class - Stretching Your Stamps.  The first two classes are on using your background stamps.  You ask - what does that have to do with this card.  Well - I did s background and used a rainbow background.  I liked the background so well I decided just to make rainbow watercolor background for my card.  I had this die cut sitting around so I thought why not use that for part of the front of my card.  I then used the dies that coordinate with Denim and Daisies to cut all my flowers.  I had colored watercolor paper in the same colors as my rainbow background.  I thought the sentiment was very appropriate to the background and for a bridal shower card.  

I need to find some heavier vellum.  I guess I will put that on my card making shopping list.  If you wish to shop for your own stamps from Paper Smooches pop over to their store.  

Well time to get ready for bed.  

Oldie Moldie Monday

Monday - time to show some love for some old supplies.  I found pieces of this paper.  There was matching card stock with the patterned paper.  I managed to get three more cards out of the paper and never used any of that card stock.  I think they will be great cards for Operation Write Home.

The top two sentiments are from Hero Arts.  The last sentiment is from Technique Tuesday.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.  They still make great cards.

Enjoy your Monday - dang - a five day work week.

Keep It Simple Sticker Card

I have found a new challenge blog and have played along a couple times.  It is called Keep It Simple.  I struggle doing simple cards.  I love to do lots and lots and LOTS of stuff on a card.  The post office loves me - I think personally card makers will keep the post office in business with the extra money we spend on postage to mail our cards.

The current challenge at Keep It Simple is to use stickers.  I have two favorite sticker companies.  SRM Stickers have the best sentiment stickers and they also have some small images (the daisy on this card is from SRM Stickers along with the sentiment).  Penny Black also has wonder image stickers which help you make a great card very easily.  The card at this link uses a Penny Black sticker image and a SRM sentiment.

As I said I struggle with CAS cards.  I have thousands of sheets of white card stock which are recycled from commencement programs.  It cuts down on my cost so much.  The card base and the dry embossed card front are recycled card stock.  I used my Silhouette to cut out the flower shape in the center of my front.  After it was cut out I dry embossed the front.  I did cut 3 flowers out of regular white card stock with no texture on it.  They are layered together to add just a little dimension to the flower.  I colored the top layer with Copics.  I then glued it in opening.  I had used all the big sentiments on a Thank You sticker sheet from SRM Stickers and have all these daisies left over so wanted to find a way to use them.  I thought I needed a pop of color so added the pinkish red mat and also put my daisy sticker on top of it.  The sentiment and daisy are pop dotted for some extra dimension.  I added a pearl in the center of the daisy.  Thank you card done.  I kept it simple or at least simple for me.

Everyone enjoy your Sunday.  I must go to the grocery store and clean my card making area since I am taking the Stretch Your Stamps Online class.  Looking forward to it.  I never thought you could take an online card class - well - I prefer to take an online class from this group than to go to a in person class.  Fantastic value for your money.

Paper Smooches Snowman Greetings

Once again, I am sliding in at the last minute with my card for the weekly challenge at Paper Smooches Spark Challenge blog.   

This week it is their Designer Drafts Challenge - or sketch challenge for July.  It is a cute sketch.

Of course, I had to add lots of layers.  Lots and lots of layers.  I was hoping the white and kraft will offset the business of the patterned paper.  It is time to start on those holiday cards so I found one of Paper Smooches wonderful snowmen for the card.  Instead of the scalloped edge on the picture, I cut a scalloped frame with my Silhouette Cameo and offset it from the picture.  The snowman and greeting are pop dotted for some dimension.

I am hoping there is a new set of snowmen coming out this year from Paper Smooches but in the meantime you can go shop at their store and fine other great stamps and die sets.

Well now that I have had some paper therapy it is time to go outdoors and get some dirt therapy.  The flower beds need a little attention.  Enjoy your Saturday.

Vacation Over - Time to Make a Card

I was on vacation.  I did get in some play time on vacation.  I visited one of my dear friends who has moved to South Carolina on a beautiful lake to live out their retirement.  Beautiful home, beautiful location, beautiful friends.  I am looking forward to when I retire to go spend some time with them in the winter months to escape the winter cold.

On Friday's I like to use my Unity Stamps and play in their Friday Challenge - Friends With Flair.  I have used this stamp before but he is cute - maybe next week I will try to use another stamp.  Although I do have this same card in my head in a different paper grouping - blues and kraft - so you never know what will happen.  I guess you will have to stop by next Friday to see what I did.

I based the card on the current sketch at Deconstructed Sketches.  A nice sketch - lots of layers.  I used a muted color palette for my card - it is a new pad I got from Heidi Swapp.

The card will go in my Operation Write Home box.  It is a card that can be used throughout the Winter months because it is not holiday specific.

The current challenge at Addicted to Stamps Challenge Blog - Anything Goes.  Love those challenges.

Two days of work and then I have the week end to catch up on rest and things.  Enjoy your Friday.