Wedding Card

Today I needed to make a wedding card. Drat – don’t you hate it when you HAVE to make a card? NOT!!

I wanted to make a larger than normal card, and this one measures 5 x 7 inches. So, I started with a piece of Whisper White cardstock cut to 10 x 7, scored it and folded it in half. I printed the greeting on the inside, using my computer. Next I took more Whisper White – 3 ½ x 4 ¾ inches – and stamped the swirling roses design from Floral Fourishes by Inkadinkado(a set I got at JoAnn’s) with Memories black dye ink, then cut it in half (so each piece was 1 ¾ x 4 ¾), ran them through my BIGkick in a Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss folder and matted them on black shimmery cardstock. I used a small Cuttlebug heart folder on a piece of scrap paper, cut it out, and used it for a mask on a piece of Whisper White which I had cut to 4 ¾ x 6 ¾. I placed the mask where I wanted the heart to be embossed, and stamped the rose (from a Penny Black Clearly Inspired set called Brushed Flowers) over the scrap paper. I used Versa magic chalk ink in Spanish Olive and Perfect Plumeria for the rose, positioning it so that the end of the stem came through to the other side of the heart. After the rose was dry, I embossed the heart. I scored the double lines on both sides of the rose, using my Scor-Pal. I punched the holes for my ribbon with a Stampin’ Up! Double Circle punch and added the sheer black ribbon. I also used the “happily ever after” stamp from Wedding/Marriage by Inkadinkado to stamp inside the embossed heart. I then matted that piece on black which is 4 7/8 x 6 7/8, and adhered the swirling roses pieces and added it all to the card.

It turned out quite elegant, I think!

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

Fresh Cuts Thank You

This card was done using (pretty much!) this week’s SCS Sketch Challenge #182 and Color Challenge #172.

I started by using the main image from Stampin’ Up!’s new set Fresh Cuts. (It’s the only thing available from the new catalog so far – a sneak peek. The new catalog will be out August 10.) You can check it out here. (Contact me if you’re interested!) I stamped it once with Wild Wasabi and once with Tempting Turquoise. The challenge was to use Taken With Teal – oops! I trimmed them to three inches square, and then I cut them each into nine one-inch squares. I cut Wild Wasabi and Tempting Turquoise cardstock into pieces that were one and an eighth inches square. I mounted the Tempting Turquoise-stamped images on the Wild Wasabi squares, and vice versa.

The "Thank You" is stamped from the same set. I added three rhinestones on the left to kind of balance it all out.

I apologize for the washed-out photo. I took the picture at night and had to use the flash.

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

A Cheery Hello!

Today I’ll share a card I did for Natasha’s sketch challenge – Fall-to Layout #4: http://cleanandsimplestamping.blogspot.com/2008/06/fall-to-layout-4.html Her blog is called “Clean & Simple Stamping.” Gee, I wonder why I like it?

The bird and the branch are stamped with Versafine Black Onyx ink using a Hero Arts set that is exclusive to Archivers. It’s so cute! I colored the bird with markers (Copic B34, Stampin’ Up! Mellow Moss and Creamy Caramel.) The green is Mellow Moss, the sentiment is stamped on Creamy Caramel and I think the blue cardstock is Brocade Blue. The Mellow Moss is embossed with a Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss folder, and I added a Dew Drop. The base of the card is PaperTrey Ink’s Stampers Select White.

That’s about all there is to it! Took a lot longer than it looks like it should have, but what else is new?

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

Sunflowers

I’ve been on a card-making frenzy the last few days – many cards needed to be sent out. They all went out this morning, though – yippee!!

I got to use some of Harriet’s stamps when she was here, and this was one of them. It’s from the Crafty Secrets Bird Lovers set. Awesome set! I stamped the sunflowers stamp directly on my card front, then sponged Mellow Moss over the bottom. I colored the flowers with More Mustard, Really Rust and Creamy Caramel Stampin’ Up! markers. The band across the middle is Mellow Moss with shimmery white which has been embossed with the Dotted Swiss embossing folder. The sentiment is from a Studio G set and cut out with Oval Nestabilities.

Another simple card, of course, but I do like the way it turned out.

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

Glittery Thank You

Another glittery card for you all today. This one was done with a different method, however. I learned this from Vicki, and you can get all the materials from her. Just write to her at VBoddicker@aol.com. She’s a great source of most anything you might need!

For this card, you need some special soap, some special double-sided sticky paper, a brass stencil and some glitter. You soap up your stencil and adhere it to the sticky paper, which has been trimmed to just slightly smaller than the stencil. Then you stick the paper and the stencil to another piece of cardstock. Carefully add the glitter with the appropriate colors into your stencil. When all the areas of the stencil have been filled in with glitter, remove the stencil. Sprinkle white or clear glitter (or whatever color you want!) over the rest of the sticky paper. Voila!

I used Art Studio Ultrafine glitter on this card, but I tried some I got from the dollar spot at JoAnn’s, and I liked that even better! In Real Life, you can read the “Thank You” better than it shows up in the picture.

The matting papers are both from Archiver’s. I scored the bluish cardstock with my Scor-Pal. The patterned paper is from Archiver’s free pack – free with a $50 purchase. I distressed the edges and rubbed on a little bit of Tim Holtz’s Distress Ink – Tea Dye. The ribbon is SU! – Certainly Celery grosgrain. (And it matches better IRL, too.)

I’ll add another card I made with this method, too, just for fun.

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

Our Grandson!!

Today’s post is something I haven’t done for a few years – scrapbooking. The last scrapbooking I did was of our daughter and son-in-law’s wedding, and that took place over five years ago!

This page is of our new grandson! Well, he isn’t here yet, but he’s already here on my blog. He is due the first part of October. Our first grandchild. We are so excited!! (Sure wish they lived closer, though. We’ll miss so much. Thank goodness for pictures.)

The page measures eight inches square. The background paper is from the free pack at Archivers. The pictures are mounted on Not Quite Navy and shimmery white paper. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the zig-zag edges. I thought it kind of looked like waves. The stickers are from the $1.99 spot at Archivers. The “BABY” stamp, the “boy” stamp, and the onesies stamp are all from Studio G, and are colored with markers. The alphabet stamps are Stampin’ Up! and the rick-rack border stamp is by Fiskars. I added some snaps under the picture of our daughter. (She requested that her face be blurred out.)

Sure was a fun page to do – thanks for the idea, Harriet!!

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

Dreamweavers Daisies

I made a card this morning – yippee! It’s a very simple one, and I’m going to share it with you.

The dry embossed daisies are done with a Dreamweavers stencil and my BIGkick, using the rubber mat that I got with my Big Impressions starter kit. I also misted my paper with water before embossing to give it the nice deep, distinct edges, and I left it in the stencil to dry. That keeps it from curling. I colored the flower centers and the stems and leaves with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol. I also used a clear Glaze pen on the flower petals and centers. I distressed three of the edges with a Stampin’ Up! distresser and mounted it on Wild Wasabi, which also has three distressed edges. Then I adhered the daisy layers on Summer Sun.

I stamped the Thank You with Versamark and embossed it with detail white embossing powder. I double scored the lines beside the daisies, and also above the Thank You. Then I embossed the diagonal lines – all with my Scor-Pal.

I get my Dreamweaver stencils from Vicki B. You can email her at VBoddicker@aol.com, if you’re interested. Tell her Lynette sent you! She can get you LOTS of other things, too, like Hero Arts, Penny Black, Lasting Impressions, Nestabilities – to name just a few.

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

Back from Des Moines!

Well, I’m finally back to my blog!

Our trip to Des Moines was awesome! As soon as Harriet and I made it there, we all went out to eat at the Machine Shed. The others had already gotten in a fair amount of shopping. After a leisurely dinner, it was back to the motel for visiting, visiting, visiting. Monday morning we hauled ALL of our stuff to Archiver’s. They were so gracious to let us invade for the entire day! We all left for lunch, and some left for dinner. We were there til they closed at 9:00, and were back again Tuesday morning when they opened. We said our sad farewells Tuesday morning and early afternoon.

Harriet and I got back to Minneapolis Tuesday evening, and she was here until Thursday morning, when her plane was supposed to take off. Her plane ended up being about two and a half hours late. But, she is home and all settled in now. We managed to get in some stamping while she was here, and we also fit in a trip to Anchor Paper, JoAnn’s, and Michael’s.

I will share some pictures with you all. All ten of us (Dawn, Georgia, Harriet, Joanne, Joyce, Lynette, Kris, Sheri, Terri and Vicki) are in one picture or another, and I’ll throw in a picture of some of our “stuff,” too. Oh, and the name tag I wore for two days – thanks, Terri!!

Thanks to all of you wonderful ladies for the great time. Again, we have the bestest Yahoo! group around!

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

Taking a Break Already!

I know I just got started blogging, but I have to take a break already. I have a VERY fun time ahead of me!!!

I belong to the “bestest” Yahoo! group ever!! Last year we decided to have a “Group Gathering” and seven of us met in Iowa. One of us, Harriet (hskelly on SCS) even flew in from California! The first time we met was when I picked her up from the airport, if you can believe that. How’s that for being trusting!

Anyway, we had such a wonderful time that we’re doing it again this year. (And we’re already talking about next year.) I’ll be picking Harriet up at the airport Sunday (Father’s Day) and we’ll be heading down to Des Moines, IA where we will spend two nights. There will be ten of us this year and we’ll be spending all day Monday at the Archiver’s there. Could it be better than that???

So that’s why there will be no new posts from me until at least Wednesday and possibly Thursday – unless I decide to post pictures of us. Not sure if anyone would like to see that??

PLEASE come back again and visit, and thanks for reading my blog. I really appreciate it!

Embossing Paste and Brass Stencil

I wanted to make sure to put up a card today, but I don’t have time to make a new one, so I’m going to show you one I’ve already uploaded to SplitCoastStampers. I’ve taken some more detailed shots to share, though.

This card was done with a Dreamweavers brass stencil and embossing paste. I would be happy to do a tutorial on this at a later date, if there is any interest.

I taped the stencil to the white cardstock with removable tape. Then I stippled the color through the stencil. I cleaned off the stencil after I was done stippling, so that I would not get color in my embossing paste. I spread the embossing paste over the stencil, then removed the stencil, sprinkled with ultra-fine glitter and let it dry.

I cut and embossed the holes in the saffron and celery cardstock with rectangle Nestabilities and mounted them on Pop Dots for dimension. The “HELLO” is stamped with Versamark and embossed with sparkly embossing powder, and the slot is punched with Stampin’ Up!’s Word Window punch.

Here are close-up shots of the sparkle of the glitter and the dimension of the embossing paste, the Word Window slot and embossed HELLO, and the dimension that the Pop Dots give. You can click on each picture for a larger view.

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

Stampin' Up! Fresh Cuts

Yippee, I got my new Stampin’ Up! set, Fresh Cuts, this morning! I HAD to use it for today’s card. I thought and thought, did a note card with it, then ended up with this card, instead. It couldn’t be simpler! I’ll have to try for something a little more detailed when I have more time. But for now, this will have to do.

I stamped the collage stamp with River Rock on some off-white linen cardstock. I matted it with River Rock, and adhered it to the linen cardstock base. I used the Scor-Pal to score lines on the right and bottom of the image, then I scored the diagonal lines in the upper-right pane and the lower-left pane. I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the Thank You in the lower-right pane. That’s it!

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

SCS Sketch Challenge

I'd like to say this was a "ten-minute" card because that's about how long I was going to allow myself to stamp today, but I'm afraid it took quite a bit longer than that!

I made this card using today’s Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge, found here. The card base is a light gray cardstock with flecks of black in it. The bottom layer is black cardstock embossed with the Script Cuttlebug folder. The second layer is silver mirror cardstock embossed with the Mesh Cuttlebug folder, matted on black cardstock and raised with Pop Dots. The top layer is stamped with Versamark using a stamp from Papertrey Ink’s Text Box set. I embossed it with an embossing powder called Winter Wonderland that I got at Michael’s. It’s white with silver sparkles in it – very pretty “In Real Life.” The sentiment stamp is from Stampendous.

I was realizing today that I haven’t done much stamping on a card for a while now. Tomorrow I’ll be getting the new Fresh Cuts Stampin’ Up! set, so hopefully I’ll have time to stamp a card with that.

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

Father's Day

Tonight I made a Father’s Day card for my husband of over 33 years. When we were in Branson in April, we went to a stamping store (Unique Impressions, where I won $50 worth of Northwoods stamps!) He “made” me get some copper sheets and a mini torch. I figured nothing better to use it on than a card for him.

I cut a piece of the copper 2 inches by 5 ¼ inches. I embossed it with my Cuttlebug Script embossing folder. Then I used the “torch” (which is pretty much like a lighter, except hotter, I believe) to discolor the copper. I mounted it on some slightly textured black cardstock which I had cut to 4 1/8 by 5 3/8 inches. I added a couple copper brads in the corners and adhered it to the ivory cardstock. I cut the smaller piece of copper and embossed it with a Fiskars texture plate and discolored that with the torch, too. I stamped “Happy Father’s Day” on vellum and embossed it with detail black embossing powder and attached it to the copper with two more copper brads. I mounted the sentiment piece to the card with Pop Dots. That’s about it – pretty easy card.

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

"Negative Effect" Birthday

Welcome to first-time readers, and welcome back to those who are returning. Thank you for visiting!

I have filed this card under “Clean and Simple,” but I may have to make more categories, as most of my cards are Clean and Simple:) The technique on this card is what’s known on SCS (SplitCoastStampers) as the “Negative Effect” – putting color on your embossing folder and then embossing your cardstock. (This was a challenge on SCS a while back. You can find the challenge here.) For this card, I brayered the back side of the Cuttlebug Paisley folder with Cameo Coral and inserted my cardstock partway into the folder. I just wanted the top part of my card front to be embossed with this folder. I then put the bottom part of my cardstock into a Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss folder and embossed it. The center scored lines are done with a Scor-Pal. I sponged lightly with Cameo Coral onto the Swiss Dots. The “Birthday!!” piece was embossed with a small Cuttlebug embossing folder from the Birthday Jelly set. I sponged Cameo Coral on that, too. This piece and the scalloped piece behind it were cut with Square Nestabilities and raised with Pop Dots. The entire front was mounted on Cameo Coral, and then on to the front of the card. A very simple card, but I like it.

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

Daisy Edgeabilities Anniversary

Wow – my first “blog card!” Hopefully there will be many more.

This card uses Spellbinders Daisy Edgeabilities. I cut and embossed the Daisies on Papertrey Ink Stamper’s Select White cardstock with my Sizzix BIGkick, then I trimmed it down to standard card size – 5 ½ by 4 ¼ inches. I used my Scor-Pal to add detail to the sides. I colored the daisy centers, stems and ribbon with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol. I used another piece of cardstock for the card, and used a Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss embossing folder on the front. I used Papertrey’s Mixed Messages for the sentiment. It is stamped with Tempting Turquoise and cut out and embossed with Petite Oval Nestabilities. The ribbon holes are cut with a Stampin’ Up! Double Rectangle punch. I wrapped the ribbon around the sides of the Daisy piece, then glued it on to the card front. The two “loose” daisies are attached with Pop Dots.

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

Well, here I am!

I said I would never do it, but here I am - I have a blog!!! I'll give it a try and see how it goes. I mean, what can it hurt! Are you happy now, Anne? :)