Practicing Creativity with CardPatterns

I just finished making this card for the Card Patterns Sketch #55 using my new goodies from Practicing Creativity.  This card took way longer to finish than I was anticipating as I had too many fun options and colour combinations that I could use!

I picked out my all time favourite Cosmo Cricket paper (Early Bird) to go with my new favourite red ribbon (Practicing creativity) and started cutting and shaping that balloon to exactly the way I wanted it.  Then I worked everything else around my "masterpiece".  The scene is created using the rest of the Look Up set and the sentiment comes from the Everyday Button Bits set from PTI.  I love acrylic stamps for the fact that you can distort them to fit your layout.  Ideally I should have flipped the sketch so that the sentiment was on the left side and the word 'lift' would be at the top but not much can be done once the card is finished and I had already spent way too much time on it.

This card will be perfect for a friend of mine that is going through of a bit of a rough patch.  I think she just needs to be reminded that she has friends.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic weekend.

Paper: Kraft, Kiwi Kiss, Blue Bayou, Early Bird dp (Cosmo)
Ink:  Basic Black, Crushed Curry, Real Red
Accessories:  Red faux suede ruffle Ribbon (Practicing Creativity)
Stamps: Look Up (Practicing Creativity), Everyday Button Bits (PTI)

Cinema Saturday Presents: Dear Frankie

Yeah I know, I said I was going to take a break but last night I found inspiration to make an altered board book for the current Cinema Saturday challenge.  The movie is "Dear Frankie"  Have you seen that one?  It's one of my favourite Gerard Butler films...I actually think it's his best role.  Even better than his role as Gerry in P.S. I Love You!  If you haven't seen Dear Frankie you really should.  It will pull at your heart strings (in a good way).

Anyhow,  the part of the movie I was thinking about is the many times that the Lizzie has moved with her mother and son to protect Frankie.  It got me thinking about what makes a home and what it really comes down to is LOVE. I was then inspired to make a little mini board album of my family and the home we've made.  This is just the cover of it and it will be filled as I find the time.

The added challenge was to use a little bit of map.  Now I realize that the movie took place in Scotland and I've used a map of Ireland. I happened to have the map scanned for a St. Patrick's Day project (that didn't get made). I just want to clarify that I do NOT believe that Ireland and Scotland are the same thing.  I don't want to offend anyone :)

The map was printed on white print paper in sepia tones to soften it up a bit.  There is map in the chimney, the roof and the 3D heart flowers.  It was my first time making those flowers and not as perfect as I'd like them...but I like the effect.  I made the curved door by slipping the top of a 1 1/4" kraft strip into my 1 3/4" circle punch and cutting the top.  The sentiment is my own but certainly it has been said before and that was printed using a Word document.  There's quite a bit of sponging, detail and love put into this little project.

Well that's that!  Hope you enjoyed something other than a card.  My first love (when it comes to paper crafts) is altered projects, unfortunately they take up more time to finish than I have time for.  Have a fantastic day and thanks for dropping by.

Paper: Close to Cocoa, Barely Banana, Kraft, white printer paper, Groovy Guava, Rose Red

Ink:  Close to cocoa, always artichoke

Accessories: Crayola house board book, Fiskars heart punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, scallop border punch, sponge, map on printing paper, pearl

Stamps:  Hundred Hearts (Verve), Everyday button bits (PTI)

Curtain Call #21

Well in honour of St. Patricks day I'm posting a card that at least has the right colours.  I don't have any embellies or stamps that honour the occasion but that will all change with my next PTI order :)  This card uses the colours from the Curtain Call Colour Challenge Act 21 and the Fall-to-layout #82.

The butterfly was stamped on Certainly Celery using Always Artichoke Ink.  I used the Signature Greetings sentiment (PTI) because it fit the best and I like it better than the typical "Happy Birthday".  There's a little bit of bling just to dress it up a little.  This card is nothing fancy but I do like the layered border and I'm happy with my stamp placement.  This week I'm taking another bit of a creative break right now.  I've got to get caught up on all my housework after having a sick family this last week and there are some scrapbook pages that I want to work on.

Anyhow, Happpy St. Patrick's Day!  Love and peace to all of you.  Happy Crafting!

Paper:  White (PTI), Barely Banana, Certainly Celery

Ink: Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery marker

Accessories:  Always Artichoke ribbon, bling, scallop border punch (EK success)

Stamps:  Priceless (SU!), Signature Greetings (PTI)

March Viva La Verve #3

Okay, so this card is totally out of my comfort range but I just went with it.  I'm still not sure I completely "love" it but it works for a masculine anything card and those are always nice to have around.

I'm really enjoying playing around with Viva la Verve sketch and inspiration challenges.  The sketches are always great and the inspiration is an added challenge that helping me to broaden my creative chops.  Unfortunately, I only have 2 verve sets and they don't always work with the sketch.  As it was, I had to flip the sketch around.  I was inspired by the kitchen with the blue and stainless steel accents.  A kitchen I believe my husband would be totally into if we were redoing our kitchen (again) A fairly basic and easy card and fast too if you took out the white embossing step. 

There you go, a fairly simple card and fast too if you took out the white embossing step on the bike.  If anything, I hope it inspires you for those difficult male cards.  Thanks for looking and have a fabulous night.

Paper:  Kraft cs, Basic Black, Brilliant Blue, silver fiber paper
Ink:  white craft, basic black
Accessories: White embossing powder, black marker, 1/4" circle punch, blue buttons (BG), swirl ef (CB)
Stamps: Everyday Button Bits (PTI)

Dreaming of Summer

Last night I dipped into my Basic Grey Lemonade Stand dp and my Perfect Day Stampin' Up! rub-ons.  Yeah, I know I know, we haven't even hit spring yet and it even managed to snow here on Friday.  But after having the kids home for spring break I was beginning to day dream about the wonderful summer break we will have (hopefully not sick).  I can not wait for sunny warm skies, flowers and fresh fruit!

For this card I took my first try at a Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge.  Because of all the bright and busy colours I decided to leave much of the Kraft card base visible and I used a rub on for the bottom border.  The flower was made using the Perfect Day rub-ons and cutting them out on different papers and layering them. I think this will be perfect for spring or summer birthday wishes.

Paper: Kraft cs, Lemonade Stand dp (BG)

Accessories: A Perfect Day rub-ons (SU!), pewter build-a-brad, 1 1/4" and 1/2" circle punch.

Another March Birthday

How many March babies are out there??   For me, there are at least 7 birthdays to make cards for.  Today my friends birthday happens to land on the same day as my sisters.  On Friday I managed to make a special card for girlfriend of mine who has some of the same passions as I do.

The latest Sketch Girl challenge came in very handy.  It was a fairly simple sketch which is always nice because  it makes it easier to 'dress up' using some hand stitching, buttons and satin ribbon. Surprisingly the entire card was made from paper in my scrap bin!  Had to add some shamrock paper in honour of St. Patricks day.  Imagine, I actually don't have any St. Paddy's day stamps or embellishments.

I also have another card that I made pictured below using the same sketch but I didn't like how it turned out.  I thought I would share anyways just in case it might inspire you to perfect it. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you are happy and healthy.  I'm feeling much better today which is good since I have a feeling my dh will be spending much of the day in bed with this horrible virus. I hope to get the chance to get out of the house today and get some much needed groceries :)  Happy Crafting friends.

Paper: Barely Banana, Old Olive, Earth Love dp (Cosmo), Whisper White.

Ink: Old Olive, Perfect Plum

Accessories:  Purple floss, scallop border punch (SU!), Buttons in Lemon tart, Plum pudding, and New Leaf (PTI), yellow satin ribbon (chatterbox), linen thread, dimensionals

Stamps: Everyday Button Bits and Signature Greetings (PTI)