A Trio of Cards

Happy Monday.  I've got 3 cards to share today, so I will just get right to it.  First up is my favorite of the bunch.

I pulled out some flower stamps that have not seen ink in a while and did one of my favorite things--just stamped an entire card front in a sort of random pattern.  I used the colors from Color Throwdown #334, and the sketch from Sweet Sunday Sketch #261.  That pink ink--Little Piggy from WPlus9, is NBUS, so I am entering this card at Darnell's latest NBUS challenge.  By the way, this is now my new favorite pink ink color.  I ran the entire top panel of my card through with the Hexagon Cover plate used as an impression plate just for a little quilted texture.

My next card is my 2nd entry this week using the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch #115.  I used SU Stippled Blossoms and watercolored the blooms a little bit.  That crooked border is hand drawn, and I meant it to be crooked (LOL).

I am also entering this card at AAA Cards #35:  Bare naked CAS.

Last for today is a card shaped like a giant cupcake--inspired by the photo at The Card Concept #31. I think this might go in the Clean and Layered category.  I am also entering this card at Addicted to Stamps, where the theme is Anything Goes and Seize the Birthday, without toppings.

That's it for me today.  Come back tomorrow for a new CASology challenge.

Thanks for Visiting

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas

Have you made a Clean and Simple birthday card and linked up at CASology #131:  BIRTHDAY yet?  Not to worry, you've still got plenty of time.  I used the confetti garlands technique from this week's Make it Monday #199 to make a birthday card that I hope will provide you with some more inspiration to join in our challenge this week.  I made sequins with my Sparkle and Shine Sequins die, and strong them up along with some beads I swiped from my daughter's stash.

I missed the deadline at Merry Monday last week, and I was determined to make it this week.  I broke out my new Songbirds stamps and dies to make my card, and used the sketch from The Paper Players.

I am also entering both of these cards at Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes.

Thanks for Visiting

A Whole Bunch of Cards

What a crazy week it's been in San Diego--a state of emergency and fires all over the place.  Fortunately, the fire closest to our home was controlled before it got too close.  Schools were closed, the air quality was terrible, and each morning I awoke to a fresh layer of ash on everything outside.  My car was packed with important papers and photos, but luckily we were not called upon to evacuate. Today is the first day that the temperature is a bit cooler and the air smells clean.  Most of the fires are either out or are under control.  My heart goes out to all those who lost their homes this week.

I've been crafting off and on all week, and have a whole bunch of cards to post.  First up are two more cards for this week's Make it Monday #164:  Cluster Stamped Sentiments.   I began with a sentiment from Mama Elephant Make a wish and embossed it in white.  Then, I just stamped circles from Sketched Shapes all around in Aqua Mist, Summer Sunrise, Hibiscus Burst, Hawaiian Shores and Tropical Teal.  I stamped each of the circles twice, inking and rotating the stamp before the second stamp.  That is how I got the cross hatched pattern, and it also helped the embossed sentiment to stand out better.

I am also entering this card at this week's Simon Says Monday:  M challenge.  My 'M' is Make a Wish.


This next card uses another sentiment from that same ME set, and I stamped over it using Watercolor Wonder in a rainbow of colors.  I am entering this card at Make it Monday #164:  Cluster Stamped Sentiments as well as  Simon Says Monday:  M challenge.  My 'M' is Mama Elephant.

I was able to play with my Make it Market Shakers & Sprinkles kit.  Wow, is this kit fun.  The first card I made is a shaker card that is very close to one of the cards Betsy made when she introduced the kit.  It really was quick and easy.  I used a quarter sheet of the paper pad included with the kit, so all the background stamping was done for me, and I could not bear to break into my test tubes of sprinkles yet, so I used confetti made with one of the confetti dies.

I read a tip somewhere by Jacquie about using a Q Tip to put talcum powder on the edges of the foam tape to keep the shaker elements from sticking to the side of the foam.  I did not have talcum powder, so I used corn starch, and it did seem to help.

For my next card, I combined the Shakers & Sprinkles kit with my Shape Up Cupcake die to make a cupcake shaped card.  I have to say that I really love how it turned out, and I will be making more of these.  I coated the die cut 'sprinkles' with a ton of Wink of Stella, and coated the stamped confetti with Glossy Accents.

I recently got the Butterfly Drift die from SSS, and just started playing around with it.  I was inspired by many of the cards on Lisa's blog, I'm in Haven.  I am going to enter 5 of these next cards at Simon Says Wednesday Die Crazy.

I think that these first two are my favorite of the bunch.  For the first card, I die cut in black and also various rainbow colors.  I did not cut the entire die for each color--just put a scrap under the particular butterfly I wanted to cut.  I used the outline in black, and then filled in each butterfly with a different color.  I found that running the die cut through my Xyron machine was the easiest way to get the border to stick.

On this card, I cut the entire die out of the card stock panel, adhered that panel to my card base with foam tape, and then filled in the butterflies with colored card stock, leaving a gap where the border would be.

Just for fun, I am entering these cards at this week's Seize the Birthday (without toppings).

For my next card, I used a Kaleidacolor rainbow ink pad (Caribbean Sea), which I stamped on wet card stock.  Once it dried, I ran it through my Xyron machine and used the butterflies to fill in another black border die cut.

I used the border cut from that same piece of card stock on my next card.  I filled in the butterflies with black card stock butterflies, and used a sentiment from Avery Elle Brushed embossed in white.

Last up are the first cards I made with this die.  I used the same type Kaleidacolor rainbow ink pad, this one called Spectrum, stamped on to wet paper.  These are my least favorite because I think the colors are too bright and garish all together, but I am showing them anyway.  Maybe some one else might like them.

Well, that's it for me today.  Thanks for sticking with me for all these cards and pictures, and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Thanks for Visiting

A Trio of Owls and Cupcakes

I pulled out my Jillibean Soup Spotted Owl Soup 6X6 paper pad the other day, and made some cards my youngest daughter could have on hand to use for her friends' birthdays.  With her, everything needs to have an owl (but it can't be pink).

This last card was cased from this card by Laurie Willison.


Supplies Used (PTI):
Stamps:  Wonderfully Whimsical, WM Eat Cake
Paper:  Jillibean Soup Spotted Owl Soup, Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Blueberry Sky, Rustic Cream
Other:  Shape Up Cupcake Die, Fillable Frame Die, Tiny Tags Die

Thanks for Visiting

Happy Everything to You!

Just a quick post today to show another birthday card I made.  I'm not sure where this one is going--possibly to my soon to be 14 year old daughter.  Can you tell that there is a lot of excitement around our house about her birthday?

I used my new Edgers #4 die as well as one of the Half & Half dies.  I really like how those scallops look together.  It's hard to see, but the Hawaiian Shores Half & Half die cut is stamped with my new, Hero Arts Envelope Pattern background stamp.  I had been admiring that stamp for far too long and finally just ordered it.

Here is a peek at the inside:  

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  SU On a Pedastal, Create a Cupcake, Verve Wish Big, Hero Arts Envelope Pattern

Paper:  PTI Dark Chocolate, Hawaiian Shores, Fine Linen, Bo Bunny Sweet Tooth

Other:  PTI Dies:  Edger #4, Half & Half, Limitless Layers

Thanks for Visiting 

Look Who's Turning 14

I really liked this week's Make it Monday #34 technique that showed us how to make homemade thick chipboard accents.  It is so easy.  Basically, you just die cut your cardboard (I used coasters) 6 or so times, then glue all the layers together. I used it again to make another birthday card for my daughter, who's birthday is next weekend.


She loves cupcakes, and is turning 14.  I think you can see where this is going.....

I went back to Kim's blog to case the same card I cased here.  I was inspired to make the numbers out of chipboard by this card by Euna.

You can see how thick those numbers are.


























A little peek at the inside of the card, where Rachel will find another cupcake.  I just love this sentiment from SU Create a Cupcake--it pretty much sums up Rachel's philosophy on life.

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  PTI Big Birthday Wishes, SU Create a Cupcake

Paper:  SU Real Red, PTI White, MME Life of the Party 
Other:  PTI:  Numbers Die, Edgers #4 Die, SU Create a Cupcake Punch, Nestie circle 

Thanks for Visiting