Friday, August 30, 2013

With Sympathy

I have been busy crafting a mini baby scrapbook album, so I haven't posted very many cards lately. Today I decided to take a break from the album and put together a card. This card came together very quickly. I started with a piece of inked water colored paper. It was left over from a previous project. So, I tore it at a diagonal and then layered the torn pieces, overlapping them. I used a bit of yarn and wrapped it around one edge before adhering the whole piece to black cardstock. I centered it over a cardbase and finished by stamping the sentiment.




Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Happy Birthday Splotches

We're wrapping up the month of August over at The Sketch File with a few more designs based on Kathy's August sketch. You still have plenty of time to play along with the challenge. We'd love to see your creations. For more inspiration visit us HERE and to link up your creation go HERE. See you at The Sketch File!

Supplies:
Cardbase: Recollections, Cardstock: Recollections, Stamp: Stampin' Up, Embossing Folder: Darice, Ink: Studio G, Adhesive: Scotch ATG, Bling: Queen & Co

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Baseball Birthday Card

This card is all about baseball. I started with the fabulous August sketch that Kathy created over at The Sketch File. Instead of splotches, I used handmade baseball images and layered them onto my interpretation of a baseball diamond. I absolutely love making handmade embellishments. I love the challenge it offers.  BUT now I realize that in my haste to create, I totally ignored the bottom portion of the sketch...ooops! It would have been an ideal place to print the sentiment but then what would I have used for an image in the bottom right hand corner. Oh well...

I hope you are inspired by the sketch and will join in on the fun. Please share your project HERE.


Thursday, August 15, 2013

Bright Red Poppies

AUGUST CARD SKETCH ASC #35I created this card with a the help of the August sketch from Artful Delight. I've been a long time follower, but haven't played along with a challenge for a long time.

I decided to use bright red poppies as the focal point. I stamped them on a white card base so they would really pop once they were colored with bright red.

This card came together with the help of a Penny Black poppy stamp, Memento Ink,  BIC Mark Its, the Brocade die from Lifestyle Crafts, DMC Embroidery thread and Bazzill cardstock.

Cluster of Evergreens


This CAS card evolved from the pile of scrap pieces of papers piled on my desk. I had used a tree patterned paper for a previous card and had a bit of the paper left over. Instead of filing it away my scrap stash, I decided to put it to use. I cut several trees from the patterned paper, adhered them to white cardstock and fussy cut around them. I decorated the two tallest trees with wire, by wrapping it around each tree. I also had a piece of white cardstock on my desk that I had considered using on a previous card. I had lightly inked the edges but it obviously didn't work for my previous card. Since I had inked it with green and that was the color of my trees, I decided to use it for this card. I randomly cut it into three sections, adhered my trees in a cluster  on the center panel and attached it to a green cardbase.  I love it when I am able to create a second or third card from the "scraps" on my desktop. There's that much less to clean up!

While I was creating my card, I had several inspiring challenges in mind. I'm linking this card up at Twisted Tuesday Challenges. The challenge is to create a CAS Christmas themed project.  There is also an "Evergreen Tree" challenge at Christmas Card Challenges and the "Anything Goes...as long as it's Christmas" challenge over at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenges . Just for the fun of it, I'll also link up with Old Back Porch where anyone is welcome to share a current crafty project.

Thank you so much for stopping by and taking a peek at my card!
Enjoy your day!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Home for the Holidays


I created this card early yesterday, but had major computer issues and couldn't post. I finally resolved some of the computer issues this morning. YEAH! I wish I knew a computer genius! My computer would certainly keep her busy!

This card is for the "Home for the Holidays" challenge at Jingle Belles. I grew up in a state where there was always plenty of snow around Christmas time. I decided to "go home" with this card and create a snowy scene. I began by inking the sky and then I stamped the trees. I printed a log cabin image, colored it in with colored pencils and fussy cut around it. I even painted a tiny wreath and ribbon on the door. I adhered the log cabin in front of the trees and then had a blast adding snow. (I used to do landscape painting ages and ages ago. It was fun to pull out the acrylics and play around a bit.)  Over the top of the snow scene, I added a die cut frame. The frame needed a punch of color so I also added the red and white twine. I must have had one of my sister's in mind because the scene looks very similar to her first home. I loved visiting her there. It was always so peaceful and SNOWY, but warm and cozy by her fireplace!

Supplies: Cardbase: Recollections, Die Cut: Fiskars, Patterned Paper: Colorbok, Acrylic Paints: Master's Touch, Adhesive: Scotch ATG

Monday, August 12, 2013

Making Discoveries....Evergreen Tree Brads

I am feeling pretty fortunate tonight. As I was leafing through a pile of Christmas patterned paper, I came across this paper with evergreen trees. Earlier today I had created a card for the "Evergreen Trees" challenge over at Christmas Card Challenges. I knew that this patterned paper would make an excellent background for another card. As I was poking around looking for embellishments to use with the patterned paper, I discovered some evergreen tree brads. How lucky can I be! Don't you just love it when you find the perfect supplies right at your fingertips! The card came together very quickly once I'd located all the goodies. I began by adhering the patterned paper to a white mat, then layered it on top of a green cardbase. I threaded a piece of green cardstock through the tree brads and attached them to an inked background. I layered this onto a piece of white cardstock with faux stitching. I love how quickly it came together and I am thrilled that I discovered the paper and embellishments. Now I'm heading back into my studio to see what other forgotten goodies await me.

I'm also linking this card up for the "Anything Goes" as long as it's Christmas challenge over at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge.
 
Supplies: Cardbase: Bazzill, Cardstock: Recollections, Patterned Paper: Oriental Trading, Brads: Oriental Trading, Ink: Memento, Adhesive: Scotch ATG

Evergreens: Peace on Earth

I recently purchased a lovely evergreen tree stamp. So it is very fortunate that the current challenge at Christmas Card Challenges is EVERGREENS!  I couldn't wait to try out the stamp. I started by inking the sky background using a cardstock circle to mask where I wanted the moon to appear. Next I inked up that lovely tree stamp and repeatedly stamped across the base of the inked skyline. I tore white cardstock and layered it below the trees to represent the snow.  On the last strip of  snow, I printed Peace on Earth. To finish the card, I used a gel pen and very carefully added "snow" to the pine trees. I really like the peaceful feeling of this snow scene. It reminds me of the winters of my childhood.

I will also link this card up at Crafy Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge. It's anything goes as long as it's Christmas for the whole month of August.

Supplies: Cardbase: Recollections, Cardstock: Recollections, Ink: Studio G, Memento, Stamp: Inkadinkado, Adhesive: Scotch ATG, Sakura Gel Pen

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Back to School

This card came together after I saw the current FUSION CARD CHALLENGE. The FUSION challenges leave plenty of room for creative interpretation. The challenge is to use just the sketch, just the photo or both to create a card.  When I first saw the challenge, I knew immediately that I wanted to create a back to school card with a stack of books, chalkboard and pencils. I used BOTH the sketch and photo for inspiration. I was inspired by the fabulous chalkboard image and the stack of books in the photo. The sketch provided the perfect layout for the books and pencils.  With the exception of the "ruler", which is decorative tape, all the embellishments are handmade. I had a blast creating the small books, pencils and apple. My chalkboard is a piece of DCWV cardstock with white colored pencil lettering.


Supplies:   Cardbase: Recollections, Cardstock: Kraft: Recollections, Black: DCWV, Green Cardstock: Bazzill, Blue Cardstock: Fox River Paper Co, Yellow & Red Cardstock: DCWV, Crayola Colored Pencils, Sakura White Gel Pen, Scotch ATG & Scotch Quick Dry Adhesives, Darice Decorative Tape

Friday, August 9, 2013

Tree Houses


Lately I haven't been in a crafty mood. Don't know what's up with that! It's probably because I am spending a lot of time hiking, biking, gardening and hanging out with the teenage son. We've been trying to take advantage of the lovely summer weather. We soooooo love the summer!

I did squeeze in a card or two for the current "HOUSE" challenge at Jingle Belles. For this card, I decided to hand cut a series of tiny houses. I've stacked them into a tree shape and fussy cut around them. I layered the tree on a piece of green cardstock and then onto an embossed background.  In the end, I felt that it looks somewhat like a quilt block, especially with the addition of the tiny punched stars.

Supplies: Cardbase: Recollections, Cardstock: Bazzill (light green), DCWV (dark green), Recollections (black), Spellbinders Embossing Folder, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Floral Birthday

It's August, which means there is a new sketch up and ready to play with over at The Sketch File. I hope you'll hop on over to The Sketch File and take a peek at the sketch that inspired this bright and cheerful birthday card.  We'd love to see how the sketch inspires you.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Aster-like Flowers

I've used a wonderful sketch from LeAnne at The Paper Players to create this birthday card. The card came together quickly because I only used scraps of paper and cardstock that I already had on my work table.  It's a great way to "clean-up" a desk top. One of the papers on my table was this beautiful soft, blue patterned paper. I love the muted blue color but wanted to add a bit of texture so I embossed it with a floral embossing folder before matting it onto an orange piece of cardstock. For the vertical panel, I layered a smaller strip of the light blue patterned paper onto orange cardstock then wrapped it with embossing thread. Next I punched three circles from a darker blue paper and fringed the circle to create "aster-like" flowers. I cut the stems and leaves from the same dark blue patterned paper. I created the horizontal strip from the darker blue paper and punched three hearts along the right hand edge and filled the heart shapes with Diamond Glaze. I finished by adding the sentiment to the base of the flowers.

Supplies: Cardbase: Recollections, Cardstock: DCWV, Patterned Paper: Light Blue: Colorbok, Dark Blue: Oriental Trading, Heart Punch, EK Success Circle Punch, DMC Embroidery Thread, Darice Embossing Folder, Scotch ATG, Scotch Quick Dry,Diamond Glaze