For Cammie's Alzheimer's Challenge

Today’s card is the one that I made for Cammie’s Alzheimer’s blog candy. I will mail it to the home where her grandmother was living in Pennsylvania. It’s also for yesterday’s SplitCoastStampers (SCS) Color Challenge (using Very Vanilla, Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze) and today’s SCS Sketch Challenge.

The card base is Very Vanilla, as are all the textured pieces and the sentiment. I embossed the two bottom pieces with a Cuttlebug Argyle folder which I had brayered with color. The top layer I stamped with leaves from a Fiskars Thank You clear set, and then embossed it with a Dotted Swiss folder. The sentiment is also from the same Fiskars set. I sponged color on the edges of all of the pieces, as well as the sentiment and the edges of the card base. The sentiment is cut and embossed with a Long Oval Nestability and mounted on a scalloped piece cut with the Scalloped Long Oval Nestabilities set. A couple brads and some Pop Dots complete the card.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Cammie and Alzheimer's

My post today is not my “normal” post. It’s about Cammie (Carolyn King) and what she has done and is doing. Here is a link to her blog: “My Blog” by Cammie. She is an artist and designs stamps for Gina K, and is a VERY talented cardmaker. (I love her style!) Her grandmother died of Alzheimer’s in June, and she has very generously donated ALL of her proceeds from her stamp set Whimsical Autumn to the Alzheimer’s Association. She has also received over $1000 in donations which will be awarded to ONE lucky person! Here is a link to the specific post. I hope you all take the time to make a card for an Alzheimer's patient's care giver. Good luck!

Sympathy on the Loss of a Dear Pet

Finally, another card! Man, stamping time has been hard to come by lately.

This card was made for a good friend who recently had to have her cat put to sleep due to cancer. Poor kitty, and poor Joanne.

I only had about ten minutes Friday morning before a doctor’s appointment, but I had pretty much “designed” this card in my head, so it went quickly. I used an Argyle embossing folder by Cuttlebug for the embossed background. Before I ran it through my BIGkick, I brayered Stampin’ Up!’s Going Gray on the folder. I dry embossed the cat and cut it out with Nestabilities – the matting, too, which is Going Gray. I stamped the sentiment and also cut it out with Nestabilities. The sentiment is from a clear set by Inkadinkado. It, and the argyle, are both mounted on Going Gray. I sponged the edges with Going Gray, also.

I think I’m done with work for the day, and it’s time to play. Yippee!! Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Camping in Late September

Hello, and thanks for stopping by! We decided to take advantage of the BEAUTIFUL weekend, and we're going camping. Spur-of-the-moment works for me! So, I'll be back in town on Sunday, but probably won't post til Monday. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, too.

Come back and visit again soon!

Birthday Flowers

It’s nice to stamp again! I finally got a chance for the first time since Sunday. We’ve been kind of busy – buying and selling a car and working on re-doing our den. But the car situation is all done, and the den is moving along quite nicely.

The image on this card is a stamp by Rubber Stampede. I stamped it with Versafine Black Onyx ink and colored it with Stampin’ Up! markers – Soft Subtles. (Except for the gray shadow – it’s not SU! and I’m too lazy to go back downstairs and see who makes it!) I punched it out with a Marvy Uchida circle punch, and the scalloped circle – Mauve Mist – is also done with a Marvy punch. I printed out the “happy birthday” on the computer. (I did printed ten cards today the same way – four “happy birthday”, four “thank you” and two “happy anniversary.” They make such great simple cards.) I scored the lines with my Scor-Pal and added some Stampin’ Up! Old Olive grosgrain ribbon. I pierced the scallops, added some hand-doodling around the edge of the image circle, and popped the image layer up with dimensional squares.

I hope to stamp again soon, but I do really want to get our den done – pillows made, valance made, paint, etc. – so I’m not sure when I’ll post again.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Another Simple Birthday

The choice today was no card, or this card. I choose “this card.” It’s an extremely simple card, but I still like it.

The card base is Stampin’ Up! Very Vanilla. The matting is SU! Certainly Celery. For the image, I used a fairly thin textured paper that came with a “raggedy” edge. I stamped the flowers from SU!’s Best Blossoms with Tangerine Tango, then masked them and stamped the leaves over them with Certainly Celery. I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig to get the placement of the sentiment (by All-Night Media – can you tell it’s one of my favorite birthday sentiments?) where I wanted it. The thin green strip across the bottom is layered on top of the stamped piece. I scored a couple lines on the top of the image panel with my Scor-Pal. I also scored a line above and below the image, and two lines to the right of it.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Simple Christmas Cards

These cards were made for a friend who asked me if I would make her Christmas cards this year. I told her they had to be simple or they would be too expensive! So, these are the ones I came up with.

They are all pretty much self-explanatory. From left to right: The first one is done by cutting a piece of cardstock a sixteenth inch shorter than the card front on each side, then scoring it at 2 ¾ inch, then folding it. Keeping it folded, put it in a Cuttlebug Snowflake folder with the folded edge sticking out about a quarter inch. After it’s embossed, re-score the folded line and score at the edges of the embossing. I sponged the edges in Baroque Burgundy, stamped the sentiment, added some ribbon, put some Crystal Stickles on some of the snowflake centers, and adhered it to the card front.

The second one is run through twice using a Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss folder – once on each side. Then I used a small circle Cuttlebug folder in the middle. After embossing the circle, I used an embossing stylus to push the dots out that got crushed with the small folder. Using a Stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped the sentiment and the tree. I used my Scor-Pal to score lines beside the Dotted Swiss, but you really can't see that in the picture. I sponged the edges and adhered it to the card front.

The embossing on the third card is done right on the card front. I punched the plain circle and the scalloped circle (Bordering Blue) with Marvy Uchida punches. I used a white gel pen for the dots on the scallops. I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the house – from Stampin’ Up’s Winter Wonderland retired set, and added eyelets. The sentiment is stamped with Versafine Black Onyx ink and has sponged edges. The circle and sentiment are both popped up with dimensional squares.

Whew! Takes longer to write about them than to make them! LOL!

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Birthday Butterflies

This card is for my next-door neighbor, who is also a great friend – and she loves purple.

I had out some Almost Amethyst cardstock and this stamp, and they went together just fine! The stamp is by Good Impressions. I stamped it with Versafine Black Onyx. It’s colored with Stampin’ Up! markers in Almost Amethyst and Certainly Celery. I also used a white gel pen near the leaves and on the butterflies. Surprise – the background is embossed with a Dotted Swiss Cuttlebug folder. LOL! The sentiment is by All-Night Media, stamped with Almost Amethyst ink. It was cut out with oval Nestabilities and embellished with black brads and black dots on the scallops with a gel pen. I sponged the edges of the CB’ed panel and the sentiment with AA ink, also. When everything was all put together – with the sentiment panel up on Pop Dots – I used Crystal Stickles on the butterflies for a little “glitz.”

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Tangerine Birthday

I’m just going to take a second to thank everyone for visiting my blog – it’s great to have you here! I hope you come back again soon!

Today’s card is a pretty simple one. I’d say “for a change” but they are all simple! LOL! The card base is from Lasting Impressions. The white border is punched with a Martha Stewart punch, as is the bottom of the card. The white border is also scored with my Scor-Pal. The ribbon is from Amuse. I stamped the sentiment, which is from Papertrey Ink’s Paper Tray, with Tangerine Tango – a new “In Color” from Stampin’ Up! The flowers are Primas (I believe) that I got from Kim Hughes. The center of the flower is a sparkly brad – you just can’t see the glitz in the photo. I also sponged some Tangerine Tango around the sides and top of the white panel.

That’s it! Thanks again for stopping by.

Happy Anniversary, Harriet!

There wasn’t going to be a post today, but since my friend, Harriet, and her husband received their anniversary card in the mail today, I can post this one!

The entire card front is covered with vellum. I inked up the birds and the leaves (from Inkadinkado’s Birds Galore) with Versamagic Chalk Inks in Plumeria and Spanish Olive and stamped them on the vellum. Then I very patiently waited for them to dry. When they were totally dry, I flipped the vellum over and repeated the process on the other side. Even “in real life” it’s kind of hard to tell that they are stamped on the front and the back. (At least I think so!) I used a Cuttlebug border to emboss the green (Old Olive) strip, and then colored it with SU! markers in Baroque Burgundy and Old Olive and a white gel pen. I used my Scor-Pal and scored lines on each side of the Old Olive and adhered the strip to the card front, under the vellum. I used Duck Tape double-sided tape (available at JoAnn’s, among other places, I assume) to adhere the vellum to the card front and to the Old Olive. I also adhered the vellum to the upper corners, and then added the pearls. The sentiment is from a clear Fiskars wedding/anniversary set, and it’s stamped with Versafine Black Onyx and embossed with clear embossing powder. The card base is Papertrey Stamper’s Select White.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Baby Cards

Last week, a friend asked me if I would make her a couple baby cards – how fun! These are the cards I came up with. I’ll show them both, even though they are really the same card.
The paper for both is from Die Cuts With a View – Nana’s Nursery. The boy card uses paper from the boy stack, and the girl one is from the girl stack. I used my Dotted Swiss Cuttlebug folder for the bottom panel, and then sanded it down a little bit. I used Nestabilities for them both – plain and scalloped. The ribbon on the girl’s is from PaperTrey. They both have brads for a little extra detail. The stamps are from Studio G. How’s that for short and sweet?

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Birds Galore Birthday Wishes

Today’s card is another one using Inkadinkado’s Birds Galore and Stampin’ Up!’s Sincere Salutations.

The bird image is inked with Versamagic Chalk Inks in Plumeria and Spanish Olive. I stamped it on scratch paper, and then on the card front. The rectangles are all cut with Rectangle Nestabilities – two scallops and one plain. The bottom layer is embossed with a Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss folder and sponged VERY lightly with Plumeria. The second layer is sponged with Spanish Olive. The top layer is embossed with a Cuttlebug Textile folder and sponged with Plumeria, and has a sheer ribbon tied around it. “Birthday Wishes” is stamped with Plumeria and embossed with Clear Embossing Powder.

Camping update: It rained. No surprise! We had a wonderful time anyway – getting together with friends is always nice, no matter what the weather.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Birthday Wishes

Pre-posting is really nice! When this gets posted, I’ll be camping with a group of friends – and freezing! Oh well, it will be a lot of fun, and I’ll survive the cold. We always camp this weekend with this group of friends and the weather is totally unpredictable, ranging from really hot to really cold. One thing that is a constant, though, is that it always does some raining on us – LOL!

Anyway, today’s card is a birthday card. I started with the rose. I made it to use as the “R” in my Yahoo group’s Alphabet Swap, but changed my mind, so it was just laying on my table waiting to be used. I inked up a clear stamp by Penny Black using Versa Magic chalk inks – two shades of green, a pink and a burgundy. Then I carefully cut it out. It’s mounted on Pop Dots. “Birthday wishes” is from Stampin’ Up!’s Sincere Salutations, stamped in Eggplant Envy. It’s cut and embossed with a square Nestability, as is the Certainly Celery it’s matted on. The frame around it is also embossed with a square Nestability. The scoring is all done with my Scor-Pal. The cardstock is Stamper’s Select White from PaperTrey Ink.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Special Day Anniversary

This card could be used for many occasions, but I think it will probably be for my brother and sister-in-law’s anniversary. Kind of masculine, but still feminine enough. Don’t you think?

The image is from Birds Galore by Inkadinkado. I used Versamagic pads to color it. I misted the stamp after I used the ink on it, and then stamped it on watercolor paper. The green border is Certainly Celery and I cut it by using square Nestabilities. It is mounted on top of the watercolor paper, then it’s all mounted on black. The sentiment stamp is a clear one I’ve had for a couple years, but I can’t tell you who makes it – sorry!

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Pink Anniversary

This is a card I made last month, but couldn’t post it because it went to someone who reads my blog. So, today is as good day as any to add it.

The flowers and swirls are from a clear set by Heidi Grace, stamped with Versafine Black Onyx ink. I colored the flowers and added pearls for the centers. The lacy bottom is punched with a Martha Stewart punch. The matting is Pink Pirouette – one of the new “In Colors” from Stampin’ Up! for this year. The HAPPY ANNIVERSARY stamp is by Hero Arts. Oh, and I added a little bit of hand-doodling, and some scoring with my Scor-Pal.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Birthday Birdie

Here is a card for today. I really want to try to add something every day, but believe it or not, it’s not my top priority. :)

I used papers from Die Cuts With a View – Nana’s Nursery for Girls. They’re matted with Certainly Celery. “Birthday Wishes” is from Sincere Salutations by Stampin’ Up! and is stamped with Certainly Celery on shimmery white paper and embossed with clear embossing powder. The bird is from Birds Galore by Inkadinkado. I stamped it with Positively Pink, then cut it out. I brayered it with Versamark and embossed it with Iridescent Sparkle embossing powder. Then I brayered it again with Versamark and embossed it with Deep Impressions Clear embossing powder for a nice thick clear coat. It’s mounted on Pop Dots. Three brads complete the card.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Ladybug Birthday

What a simple card this is - it would make a great addition to a set of cards to give as a gift.

I embossed the circles with a small Cuttlebug folder, then trimmed that piece and mounted it on shimmery black. The ladybug stickers were clearanced at Michael's a couple weeks ago. They are by Sandylion Essentials. The embossed dotted lines are done with a border Cuttlebug folder. I printed out the sentiment on my computer.

Thank you, Deb, for the JAVABLU award!! See the details on Deb's blog, Itty Bitty Inkspots.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Blog Award #3

Another award for my blog – how fun! Wanda (Starlight Stamper) honored me with this award on Thursday. Thank you so much, Wanda!!

Here are the rules: 1. Pick 5 of your favorite blogs.
2. Winners can put the logo on their blog.3. Link the person who gave the award to your blog.4. Name the 5 that you are giving the award to with their links.5. Leave a message on their blogs so that they know they've won!

So, here we go, five of the wonderful blogs that I visit every day – be sure to check them out!
Asela– Hop Art Studio
Beth – Never Too Old to Color
Cammie – My Blog by Cammie
Michele – Paper Cuts
Trudee – Follow Your Bliss …

All of these blogs are amazing, but so are all of the blogs I’ve listed on the left column of my blog – and the thousands more that are out there in “bloggy-land!”

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Porcelain Flowers

Well, I surprised myself and found time to stamp already this weekend! I kind of thought I wouldn’t be adding a card for a few days, but here I am – so thanks for stopping by.
The unusual color combination is due to the flowers that I used. They were sent to me from Thailand. They came with wire posts which I broke off, and then filed the bottoms down flat. The flowers themselves are kind of porcelain, or something – I’m not sure what. But I thought they were very pretty and I’m happy that I finally used them!

The stems are stamped by inking just some of the stems and leaves from Close as a Memory with Mellow Moss on shimmery white paper. I cut and embossed the rectangle with a Rectangle Nestability. The matting is simply cut with my paper trimmer – Pacific Point and Lavender Lace. I embossed the bottom of the card with Dotted Swiss, added scored lines with my Scor-Pal, and added a strip of Pacific Point embossed with a Cuttlebug border folder. I thought I could make a card without Dotted Swiss, but I couldn’t! I had to use Dotted Swiss to coordinate with the dotted ribbon. The sentiment is from Sincere Salutations. The card base is Papertrey Ink Stampers Select White.

I have added a close-up of the flowers. Definitely not a “mailable” card – at least not without a padded envelope.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Sparkle, Sparkle Everywhere!

Sparkle, anyone? Today’s card definitely has plenty of sparkle!

I brayered the top of the Happy Birthday Cuttlebug folder, and embossed a piece of turquoise cardstock with it. Then I sprinkled it with Iridescent Sparkle embossing powder and heat embossed it. Such an easy and effective technique! The cupcake with candle is from Stampin’ Up!’s Birthday Best set. I stamped it on yellow, white and turquoise. I used a Versamarker and the sparkly embossing powder on the bottom of the cupcake and cut it out of turquoise. I used Star Dust Stickles on the frosting and cut it out of white. I put Star Dust Stickles and then Diamond Glaze on the candle flame. I cut the yellow piece with a rectangle Nestability and embossed it. It is mounted on a turquoise scalloped rectangle. I glued the bottom of the cupcake on, and used Pop Dots to mount the frosting. The entire rectangle “stack” is mounted on the card with Pop Dots.

It’s really hard to show the shimmer, so you’ll just have to take my word for it! Here is a close-up to give a little better idea. If you click on the image, you can see it pretty well.

Thanks so much for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!