Happy Birthday Stella

Here's a quick card I made this afternoon for the current Wee Memories challenge to use pink.  They've got some of my Favourite SEI paper up for grabs.  I also need a girls birthday card for my friend's daughter's 3rd birthday.  Normally I use the star punches for boy cards but I thought I would give it a go and make those stars girly.  The stars were randomly attached and with varying dimension. You'll be able to see that better in the bottom picture.  I also used the pattern tracer to the top and bottom of the card. I really like the craft and pink together.

Anyhow I hope you have a fabulous weekend.  I'm hoping to take off to Kelowna in the morning.  We were suppose to head down today but my mom ended up sick and didn't get as much done around her house as she wanted to before we arrive.  Hopefully we will be able to get there tomorrow and the kids will be able to help plant her garden. They love planting the veggies and flowers.

Steps:

1) Make A2 card from CS

2) Punch out small and large stars in random designer paper

3) Attach those stars randomly using foam tape and glue stick

4) Stamp sentiment

5) Use pattern tracer on top and bottom of card.

Elements

Paper:  Kraft cs, Very Vanilla, close to cocoa, Pink Pirouette, pattern paper (Bo Bunny, SU!, Chatterbox), parchment paper

Ink: Close to Cocoa

Accessories:  Small and large star punch (SU!), pattern tracer, foam tape

Stamps: Delightful Dahlia (PTI)

Hey Friend

It's another post in less than 24 hours!  If you missed my earlier post I would be delighted if you scrolled down or click here. Here's something I made for the current Card Positioning Systems sketch.  As soon as I saw it I thought buttons and then framing a scene.  Which is what I did using my favourite Look Up set by practicing creativity!  I also got a chance to try that sponged cloud technique that I've been admiring for a while.  It's such a fun and subtle way to make your clouds.  What do you think?  Have you tried it?  

The silver cord (my silver lining LOL) wrapped around the buttons was a little tricky because you don't want to wrap it too tight or it will move the buttons.  The big balloon is paper pieced of course, it's my favourite thing about this set that would be difficult to do with other balloon sets. 

Steps:

1) Cut A2 card from CS

2) trim white focus panel

3) make clouds using scallop circle punch and sponge

4) paper piece balloons and position onto card

5) stamp sentiment and balloon baskets; adhere panel to card; adhere balloons to card

6) add buttons and wrap silver cord around

Elements

Paper: Soft Sky, Whisper White, Summer Sunrise (PTI), Baby boy dsp (SU!)

Ink: Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, versamark, Basic Black

Accessories: Lemon Tart buttons (PTI), silver cord (SU!), scallop circle punch, foam tape, sponge

Stamps: Key to My Heart, Look Up (Practicing Creativity)

Happy Bird-day

I've got some exciting news to share and I hope you don't mind. I made the top 5 at CAS-tastic challenge blog for this card.  My friend who gave me that PCD set should be very proud that her gift inspired a project that turned to gold :)  Not surprising though because every time she's called a winner it has reached the top.  I keep hoping she'll forsee me winning the lottery or even better, selling my house. 

Anyhow the first card I want to share with you is this card I made for the Viva la Verve challenge based on this sketch and craft room picture for inspiration.  I threw in the bird to meet the requirements for the current Off The Wall Challenge.  This weeks sponsor is Eyelet Outlet who is giving away $30 worth of brads you should pop over and see the cute owl brads Kim used for her sample...so cute!

I decided to dip into the remnants of my Twitterpatted stash. It's been a while since I used it and I will be very sad when it's all gone. Very simple card and nothing fancy. I really like that blue in the craft room picture and then the stripes of the paper reminded me of all the colours of paper on the shelves and the magazine rack.  Bright, cheerful, and organized just the way I want my new craft room to be.

Steps:

1) Cut 6.5" x 3.25" card out of cs

2) Trim cs to fit face of card and adhere

3) Trim cs and punch border; adhere to card

4) Stamp sentiment

5) Trim cloud paper and adhere

6) Trim animal print paper and mat to cs; adhere to card

7) Rub bird on to white paper; punch with 1 3/8" circle punch

8) Punch scallop circle and attach circle with bird; adhere to card with foam tape.

Elements:

Paper: Whisper White, Ridinghood Red, Bermuda Bay, Twitterpatted (Imaginisce)

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, scallop border punch, rub-on (Imaginisce)

Stamps: Picture This (SU!)

Couch Potato

Isn't that what you wish you could be sometimes?  I know some days my husband comes home exhausted from a stressful day and the first thing he would love to do is lay down on the couch and channel surf.  He doesn't actually watch tv because for some reason he finds it comforting to flick through the channels. Anyhow when he comes home the tv stays off (most of the time) and instead he visits with the kids and helps me with finishing dinner.  This card is kind of like a permission slip to relax after a long day of work. I plan on leaving this for him on friday since I'll be gone with the kids for the weekend and he'll have all the time in the world to watch tv and putter around the house.  I wonder if he'll ever take the kids away for the weekend?  Probably not but I've promised my mother that I would take the kids to her place for a visit.

This card was created using the Sweet Shop Sketch #56 and the Wplus9 colour challenge.  I also got a chance to ink up the big dots in my new Practicing Creativity set.  I found making getting all those dots in different colours a challenge and that one was my fourth try.  I really should go to Courtney's blog and watch the tutorial.  I could have probable saved myself a bunch of time (and paper).

Anyhow, I hope you have a wonderful week and I hope to be able to share a couple more cards towards the end of it.  I managed to finish 5 cards this weekend!  I love it when I'm inspired!

Steps:  

1) cut square card out of cs

2) Trim yellow square cs and mat on dark blue cs

3) Trim white cs; stamp dots; clear emboss yellow dots; adhere to yellow cs

4) Stamp sentiment; attache ribbon; adhere panel to card

5) Punch 1 3/4" yellow circle and mat to 1 7/8" circle; adhere to card with foam tape

6) Stamp couch on white cs and cut; adhere to circle

Elements:

Paper: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Barely Banana, So Saffron dp, Whisper White

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, So Saffron craft ink

Accessories: Bashful Blue stripe ribbon, clear embossing powder, 1 3/4" circle punch, circle scissor

Stamps: For the love of Dots (PCD), On my Couch (PTI)

Irish Blessings

This last week marked 6 months since the passing of my husband's cousin.  Un-fortunately the passing of time isn't making things any easier for my husband's aunt.  She says it's only making it harder.  Maybe because this is the longest she's ever gone without seeing her son.  This verse from the new Verve Blessings set came to mind as I think it would be something that her son would have wished for his parents.

"May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind always be at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Coincidentally, I ended up watching Leap Year while creating this card for the current CardPatterns and Embellish challenges.  I must have been feeling my Irish roots on Saturday night.  The rich country side of Ireland was an inspiration in itself.  IMO the movie was cute but nothing amazing.  The verse panel is applied with foam tape for added dimension. I tried something new for the ribbon treatment and it wasn't on purpose. I just happened to run out of ribbon and decided it didn't look half bad the way it was.  What do you think?

Steps

1) Cut card out of CS

2) Trim CS 3 3/4" x 5 1/4"; stamp sentiment; tie ribbon around; attach 1" circles to the border; and attach to card

3) Stamp verse; trim and mat to cs; attach with foam tape

4) attach rhinestones

Elements:

Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Bermuda Bay, Dusty Durango, Whisper White

Ink: Bermuda Bay,  Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Chocolate Chip satin ribbon, green rhinestones, 1" circle punch 

Stamps: Blessings (Verve)

Thanks Teacher

Hi Everyone!  We are having our first relaxing day in a couple of weeks so I thought I would share a card I made for my daughters teachers using one of Mercy's Tuesday Sketch.   It's hard to believe that school will be over in just a month or so.  I really am looking forward to the summer.  It will be nice not to have to drive the kids to school and activities and in August we will be living within a 5 minute walk of the water park and come September I'll be able to walk both my Son and Daughter to school.  I'm so excited!!! 

Don't you just love the bold and fun colours of the Boyfriend collection by Cosmo Cricket?  It's one of my faves but I don't use it quite as much as I should.  I'm always waiting for the perfect inspiration to use it.  The great thing about not buying anything right now is getting the chance to use up the stuff I do have....I do however miss having some of the newer stuff that looks like it would be so much fun to play with.  But then I remind myself that the manufacturers are always going to be coming out with even more wonderful stuff and that the collections I really like right now might be on sale when I get around to buying them.  It makes my supplies a little dated but I'm not doing this to be published so it doesn't really matter does it?  When I post my cards I like to think I've inspired my blog friends to create with something they've already got stashed away.

How often do you buy supplies?  Do you buy the whole collection or do you just buy the pieces that you really love?  Taking a look at my inventory I'm going to buy only bits and pieces otherwise it just gets hoarded.

Steps: 

1) Cut card out of white cardstock (CS)

2) Trim base colour CS to 4 1/8" x 5 3/8"; adhere to card

3) Trim designer paper in three equal strips and adhere to CS.

4) Trim blue cs; punch ticket corners; add faux stitching with marker and adhere to card

5) Cut circle; stamp sentiment and stars; adhere to card with foam tape

6) Punch small star and adhere to sentiment panel.

Elements

Paper: Whisper White, More Mustard, Blue Bayou, The Boyfriend dp (Cosmo Cricket)

Ink: Basic Black, Crushed Curry, Old Olive

Accessories:  Ticket Corner punch, circle scissors, small star punch, black marker

Stamps: Best Teacher (Imaginisce), Starstruck (SU!)