Two Thank Yous

 

I got my thank yous made today - one more for a Christmas gift and four for birthday gifts.  The Christmas one I made today was the same as the one I made yesterday.  That helped!

For this one, I started with a Quickutz die.  (Nameplate - Rev-0220.)  I stamped the sentiment (from Verve, again) and the daisies (from Repeat Impressions) and added the brads.  The line of embossed daisies is done with a Cuttlebug border folder and the bottom is embossed with a Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder.  I did the coloring with Copic markers.  (I got some from our son and daughter-in-law for Christmas and more that are not here yet for my birthday!)  The matting on both the Nameplate and the embossed layer is black.

For this one, I started with a piece of acetate.  I used white embossing paste and a brass stencil for the Thank Yous.  I mounted the acetate on a piece of blue cardstock and then on to white, and added white brads.  The background was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  (There appears to be some white underneath the embossing paste, but it must be a trick of the lighting.  It really is just plain blue.)

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

A Christmas Thank You

Finally - a new card!  Between getting ready for company and then having company for five days, I hadn't had a second for card-making.  So, about 45 minutes after our daughter and her family left to head back home, I was stamping!  Our son-in-law's mother sewed me a wonderful tote bag/purse, so I wanted to send her a thank you note.  (She also gets a calendar.)

I love holly, but I had to dig to find some.  These little leaves are from an Inkadinkdo set.  I stamped them with black and then used red Stickles for the berries.  The sentiment is from Verve.  The background is embossed with a Sizzix folder that I got from Oh My Crafts.  (Since I often get asked where I find my supplies, I will add that you can find it on this page.)  All the rectangles are cut with this set from Quickutz.  (On that page, you can find another card I made using the set that I haven't posted on my blog yet.  I plan on sharing it here some day soon, though.)

I also promised to share my birthday cards with you, so here they are.  It's great to have so many stamping buddies and get handmade cards, but I also got many other beautiful cards, too - from family and friends.  I thank you all for your birthday wishes!

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

Repeat Impressions WHAT IF? Wednesday Sketch

Time for another Repeat Impressions WHAT IF? Wednesday challenge.   The RI Rock Stars are given a sketch and each create a card using it.  Then, YOU create your card using the sketch, upload it, and link it to the Repeat Impressions blog.  You can find the sketch, the other creations, and everything else you need to know on the RI blog, The House That Stamps Built.

You can also visit each of the other designers' blogs following these links:

Ayana ~ Dana ~ Darsie ~ Harriet ~Joy ~ Julie ~ Maki ~ Michele ~ Robin

My card uses the stamp 1706-I, Wild Violets and you can find it on this page.  Just scroll down a bit.  I colored the image with markers, cut it with a square Nestability, and, while it was still in the die, sponged it with ink.  I matted it with Stampin' Up! Almost Amethyst cardstock and mounted it on Dimensionals.  I also used the amethyst for the smaller squares and embossed them with a Cuttlebug folder.  I added the black strips to complete the sketch.

Won't you join us?  One random winner for the month will be chosen to win a $25 gift certificate!  Also - a reminder that you have nearly a week to enter the CASE Makiko challenge for a chance to win a full sheet of unmounted rubber.  You can find all those details in this post.

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

Five Totally Unrelated Cards!

Here are five more cards I have made with Quickutz dies.  I'm nearing the end of them.  (Well, sort of!)  I have had no time for cardmaking lately, and very little time on the computer.  I've been spending it with kids and grandkids instead.  Not a very difficult decision, for sure!

 I have used a variety of stamps and papers on these cards.  Embossing folders, too.  If you have any questions on any of them, please feel free to ask!

Today is my birthday.  Yippee for me:)  I'm not sure yet what we'll be doing, but I won't be working, I know that much!  Tomorrow I'll have my Repeat Impressions Sketch Challenge, and on Thursday I'll share all of my birthday cards.  I have so many of them!  I will be opening them all later today.

 The trees on this one are cut out of shimmery green cardstock.

This pumpkin is a LITTLE out of season, but I think it's very cool!

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

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week - Making Snow Angels

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and safe travels.  I know I did!  It was great to spend it with both of our children and their families, and our time with them is not over  yet!  We still have a couple more days.  We also got to see our parents and many other family members.  It was awesome!

But, it's Monday, and it's Stamp of the Week day for Repeat Impressions!  This week's stamp, available for 50% off through next Sunday, is "Making Snow Angels."  You can find it on this page.  You can find all the details on how to get your discount on this stamp on the Repeat Impressions blog, The House That Stamps Built.  You will also find all the cards made by the RI Rock Stars.  Here are links to their posts, also.

Dana ~ Harriet ~Julie ~ Maki ~ Robin

Here is a brief description of mine.  I stamped the image, colored it with markers, added Stickles, and embossed the background.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions, also.

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

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates Christmas!!  I hope you all have someone special to be with on this wonderful day.  We will be enjoying it with our children, children-in-law, and our three grandchildren!

I truly appreciate each and every one of you who read my blog - whether it be every day, once a week, or just once in a great while!  Thank you so much. 

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

Last Five Christmas Cards of the Year!

Here are the last of my Christmas cards.  They all have a Quickutz die or dies that was/were used to make them.  The links to all the Quickutz dies that I've made cards (or projects) for can be found at the top of my blog using the CEM eBay Store page. If you have ANY questions, please feel free to email me.  You can find my email address on the "About Me"  View My Complete Profile page.

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

Celebrate Daisy

I still have several cards that have been made for a while to share with you.  I think I'll start doubles soon! For today, though, just this one.

I used a Quickutz die for the flower.  It cuts three pieces.  I cut them each out of of white, embossed them with a Happy Birthday Cuttlebug folder, then sponged colors around the edges of each piece.  I taped them together on the back and mounted them on Dimensionals.  The matting is Pale Plum and Perfect Plum from Stampin' Up!  The die is available in the Creating Everlasting Memories eBay store here.

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

Repeat Impressions - CASE Challenge

 

 It's another CASE challenge from Repeat Impressions.  They are pretty fun!  One of the RI Rock Stars creates a card, and the rest of the team is to "CASE" it - either use the sketch of it, or use it for inspiration in a different way.  Check out the Repeat Impressions blog, The House That Stamps Built, for more details.  All participants have the opportunity to win a sheet of unmounted rubber, and that's a LOT of stamps!  Check out what the other designers have come up with, too.

Ayana ~ Dana ~ Darsie ~ Harriet ~Joy ~ Maki ~ Robin

Our card to case this time has been made by Makiko Jones.  I turned it upside down to get my images to fit better.  (You have that freedom with challenges, don't you know? LOL!)  All of my stamps are from Repeat Impressions, of course.  I paper-pieced the butterfly and the sunflower - including the center and the stem and leaves.  I used Nestabilities to cut my circles and mats.  I also used little black gems.  We'd love to have you join us!  Also, you have nearly another week to participate in the WHAT IF? Wednesday challenge for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate.  You can find that challenge here.

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

Blue Thanks

I made this card for the Woodware USA sketch challenge.  You can find the sketch and the challenge here.

The stamps I used are all from Verve - two different sets.  The patterned paper is from Die Cuts With a View Cafe Mediterranean.  The matting is Blue Bayou from Stampin' Up!  The ovals were cut with a Quickutz die set.  (You can find it here.)  The inks I used are Blue Bayou, Soft Sky and Mellow Moss.  That's it - just a simple card that was fun to make!

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

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week - Champagne Bottle

This week's stamp of the week from Repeat Impressions is called 3811-H, Champagne Bottle and you can find it here.  For this week only (through Sunday, December 26th) you can purchase this stamp for 50% off.  Check out the Repeat Impressions blog, The House That Stamps Built, for all the necessary details.  You can also see what the design team members have come up with - some fabulous creations!  Here are links to them, too:

Ayana ~ Darsie ~ Joy ~ Michele

For my card, I stamped one champagne bottle, then masked it and stamped the second one.  I also stamped it twice on silver shimmery paper and cut out the labels and added them to the bottles.  I colored the corks, used my Scor-Pal to score lines around the edges, and added Stickles to the bottles.  I embossed the background with a Cuttlebug folder and matted the layers with shimmery silver.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions.

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

Two More Christmas Cards

I don't think I've shared these two cards yet, and I think I even have more"new" ones!  These both use Quickutz dies.  (As you can tell, I went on quite a spree with them!)  This first one is called Tree and is available here.  I cut the pieces out of green and brown cardstock and then sponged ink around the edges of the tree.  I also added red behind the tree decorations.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions.  I believe the patterned paper is from Stampin' Up! and I sponged on the edges of it, too.  The card base is Kraft.

This second one uses the Nesting Stars dies, found here. I cut the stars out of shimmery gold paper.  I embossed the stamped images (from clear dollar sets from either Michael's or JoAnn's) with gold embossing powder.  The layers are red and more gold shimmery.

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

Cheery Sunflowers

 

Another cheery sunflower card.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love sunflowers/daisies/all flowers? LOL!

This stamp is from Inky Antics.  I colored it with Stampin' Up! markers.  The scalloped layer and the black frame were cut with a Quickutz die called Journal Block.  You can find it in the Creating Everlasting Memories eBay store here.  I added black gems on the scallops.  The white layer is embossed with a Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder and matted with black.  I also added ribbon across the middle.

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

Birthday Balloons

Two rather different cards using the same Quickutz dies and Cuttlebug folder.

Not much explanation necessary for this one.  The balloons are cut out of patterned paper and sponged around the edges with distress ink.  I used crochet thread for the balloon strings. I embossed the background, sponged the edges, and matted with brown cardstock.  The card base and embossed layer are Very Vanilla.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions.

For this second one, I cut the balloons out of plain bright colors and embossed them each with a different Cuttlebug folder.   I drew the strings directly on the white cardstock before embossing.  Also before embossing, I brayered the CB folder with orange ink.  I matted with orange.

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

With Sympathy

A sympathy card just to have on hand.  Hopefully I won't need it for a long time!

The main image and the sentiment are from a Stampin' Up! set called Close as a Memory.  I colored the flowers with markers.  I cut the image, the mat, and the sentiment panel with Quickutz dies.  You can find the set in the Creating Everlasting Memories eBay store here. I added pearls to the flower centers, and embossed the background with a Cuttlebug folder. The matting is SU! Always Artichoke.

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

Repeat Impressions WHAT IF? Wednesday Sketch

Time for another Repeat Impressions WHAT IF? Wednesday - where Wendy gives us a sketch, we make our cards, and then YOU play along!  You can find the sketch and view all the Rock Stars' cards on the RI blog,  The House That Stamps Built.  A random participant from all the December entries will be chosen to win a $25 gift certificate ... so what are you waiting for? :)  You can also find the other designers' cards following these links:

Ayana ~ Dana ~ Darsie ~ Harriet ~Joy ~ Julie ~ Maki ~ Michele ~ Robin

The stamp I used is called Lupine and you can find it here.  I used a Soft Sky reinker and blender marker to color the flowers, and a Certainly Celery marker for the leaves.  I cut the image and matting (Soft Sky) with Nestabilities and mounted it on Dimensionals.  The patterned paper is from Die Cuts With a View Cafe Mediterranean matstack.  I added the pearls as a final touch.

EDITED TO ADD:  So sorry for an incorrect link in yesterday's post!  The link to the die for the second card should actually take you here!

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

Two Cards - and a New Grandson!

 

 A quick post for today.  I'm very tired and can't think straight!  Not much description, but a couple of cards.

This first card uses papers from a purchase from Archiver's Hot Spot.  The flower is a stamp from Michael's dollar spot.  The ribbon is Papertrey Ink.  The butterflies are a Martha Stewart punch.  And the main image layers and matting are a QuicKutz die.  You can find the die here.

Here is the second one.  The base is PTI Kraft.  The stamp is another one from Michael's dollar area.  The matting for the main image is another QuicKutz die.  You can find this one here.   I embossed the oval with another QuicKutz die found here.  (Sorry the link was originally incorrect!!)  The sentiment is from a clear dollar set.  Wow, that's a lot of dollar stamps! LOL! 

On a personal note, our new grandson arrived yesterday.  I got to visit him when he was only about 35 minutes old - how exciting!  It will be awesome to have him so close.  (His name is Owen Douglas and he was seven pounds four ounces.  He arrived at 12:18 p.m. yesterday.)

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

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week - Maranda's New Bathing Suit

 

With Monday comes another Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week.  How's this for a change from Christmas cards? LOL!  This stamp is called 2425-K Maranda's New Bathing Suit.  You can find it on this page.  And, for this week only (through next Sunday) you can purchase this stamp for 50% off!  Just check out all the details on the Repeat Impressions blog, The House That Stamps Built.  You can also check out the creations of the other Rock stars.  

Dana ~ Harriet ~Julie ~ Makiko ~ Robin

I stamped Maranda on white and colored her with markers.  (Edited to add: OOPS!  I had worked too far ahead and forgot what I had done!  Her bathing suit is pieced out of the same paper as the background!)  I cut her and the matting out with Long Oval Nestabilities.  The paper is from a summer matstack.  The sentiment can be found at Repeat Impressions here and here.  I also matted the yellow patterned paper with red cardstock and added a red grosgrain ribbon part way across the card.

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

Framed Noel

One more Christmas card for you today.  I'm so happy we have our Christmas cards ready to mail out - except for the letter.  We are waiting for the birth of our grandson, so we can include it.:)

This one is again made with a Quickutz die.  You can find it here.  I cut it out of red cardstock, put it on white and matted with red.  The NOEL is from Repeat Impressions.  I colored the poinsettia with markers.

(I have added another page to my blog.  You can find it at the top - called CEM (Creating Everlasting Memories) eBay Store.  It has links to the listings that have my cards on them.  Be sure to check them out, and other items, too, as there is a big sale going on.)

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

Merry Christmas Sign

Another Christmas card, another Quickutz die card.

The black and gold pieces, along with the oval piece, are cut with a Quickutz die.   The Christmas tree is from Papertrey Ink's set called Believe.  I colored it with Stampin' Up! markers.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions.  The matting is shimmery gold, also.

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

"happy bird-day"

This is the birthday card I made for our daughter-in-law.  She loves puns:)  Her birthday was yesterday.  (It was also her due date, but no baby yet!)

The stamps I used are from the Stampin' Up! set called Love Ya Bunches.  I stamped with black ink and colored with Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry markers.  I sponged a little Soft Silver before removing the die, to kind of "ground" the birds.  I used Long Oval Nestabilities to cut the image and the mat.  The matting is all Bermuda Bay.

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

Happy Anniversary, Andrea and Dave!

Another anniversary card for a friend in my Yahoo! group.  I'm a little late in posting it here, though, as their anniversary was last week.  Oh well, at least they got the card on time!

The diamonds were all cut with a Quickutz die.  (You can find it here, along with my card.) I cut the large diamond out of black, and cut four smaller diamonds.  They fit inside the larger one just perfectly!  I used removable tape and taped the four smaller ones together, then stamped the roses (from Hero Arts) and colored them. (Edited to add:  Then I removed the tape and separated them.) The entire diamond panel is mounted on Dimensionals.  I embossed the background with a Sizzix folder and matted it with black.  The sentiment is from Papertrey's Round and Round anniversary set.

Edited to add: Jean, if you read this post again - the Hero Arts stamp is H3280 Delicate Rose Stems.

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

Case Michele - a Challenge!

Once again, the Repeat Impressions Rock Stars are casing "one of our own." :)  Michele has created a card, and the rest of us have cased it.  Please visit the Repeat Impressions blog, The House That Stamps Built,  for the details on how you could have a chance to win an awesome prize.  You have until Tuesday, December 21 to upload your card and link it to the blog.  Also, check out what the other team members have designed.

Ayana ~ Dana ~ Darsie ~ Harriet ~Joy ~ Maki ~ Robin

Here is Michele's card.  Isn't it beautiful?  I'm afraid I didn't do it justice!  But here is my card, anyway:)  The white snowflakes are ribbons.  The stamped snowflakes are a stamp from Repeat Impressions.  After stamping and cutting (with Nestabilities,) I pressed the image into Versamark and embossed with sparkly embossing powder.  I colored the pearls with a marker to try to match the blue. (They DO match better in real life than in the photo.)  I also added white dots to the scallops on the circle.  Won't you join in on the fun?  We'd love it if you did!  Also, you have until Tuesday, December 14 to create, upload and link your card for the WHAT IF? Wednesday challenge.  You can find the details for that challenge in this post.  It's a great sketch, and there is a $25 gift certificate at stake!

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

Another Ornament Card

Here is a card I made a few weeks ago.  I have so many cards I haven't shared here yet!

For this one, I used the ornament stamp and sentiment from Verve.  I embossed parts with silver embossing powder.  There is red and silver matting.  I used my Scor-Pal to emboss lines on the bottom.  The line of snowflakes is done using a dollar stamp from Michael's.

Sorry this is so short and choppy.  We got a new computer today and got it hooked up tonight.  (I'm pre-posting Monday night.)  I still have much to do with it, though.  Thank goodness I was able to get it hooked up to the internet.  Whew!  Not a great time to be spending extra time on the computer, though.

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

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week - Divi Divi Tree

Another Monday has rolled around, bringing with it another Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week.  This week's stamp (available at 50% off through next Sunday) is the Divi Divi Tree.  Pretty cool!  Please visit the Repeat Impressions blog, The House That Stamps Built, for all the details.  Also, be sure to visit the other Rock Stars' blogs to see what they have created using this stamp:

Ayana ~ Dana ~ Darsie ~ Joy ~ Michele

I inked up the stamp with SU! markers.  I used a blender pen to add a little color to the trunk.  I used the "thumping" technique on the leaves.  (I used an Old Olive marker, then "bounced" two darker color green markers on top of it.)  I stamped again on a piece of scrap cardstock and cut out the leaves.  I cut them into two pieces and mounted them on Dimensionals, but didn't place them right on top - I off-set them to add more depth.  The top piece is SU! Always Artichoke.  I punched the border with an EK Success punch, and scored lines with my Scor-Pal.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions, also.

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

Sunflowers - for a Change!

 

How about a non-Christmas card for something different? :)  We have a lot of snow around here, so some cheery flowers make for a nice change.

I once again used Quickutz dies for this card.  The flowers and stems are all from the same die.  You can find it here, in the Creating Everlasting Memories eBay store.  I used a Martha Stewart punch and my Scor-Pal to decorate the bottom border.  I also added a piece of SU! ribbon.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Birthday Basics set.

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

Christmas Hello

Here is another Christmas card using Quickutz dies.

The dies I used for this card can be found in the Creating Everlasting Memories eBay store.  This particular set can be found here.  Please note the great price.  This is part of the Black Friday sale which ends on Sunday.  I cut the snowflakes out of sparkly white cardstock from a matstack from Die Cuts With a View.  The silver is shimmery.  The background is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  I added pearls on the sentiment.

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

Christmas Wishes

Another card using Quickutz dies.  This die is called(take a wild guess!) Ornaments!  You can find it in the Creating Everlasting Memories eBay store here.  Check out their other items, too.  The Black Friday sale ends on Sunday.

I cut the ornaments out of patterned paper which I believe is Stampin' Up!  I also used a shimmery silver for the tops of them.  I used silver cord to "hang" them.  The background is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.  Oh, I also sponged a little Memories Soft Silver ink on the edges of the ornaments and matted the embossed layer with Stampin' Up! Bliss Blue cardstock.

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

Birthday for a Guy ... and December Calendar Page

This card was for our son-in-law.  I saw this technique mentioned in the SCS Weekly Inkling last week and thought I'd give it a try.  You can find the Acrylic Block Background technique tutorial here.  Pretty much, you just ink up your acrylic block, mist it with water, and stamp with it.  You can put darker ink around the edge for a more finished look, but I thought that would be too hard to do with my curved block.

I used Tim Holtz' Weathered Wood ink on my block. The cattails are from Technique Tuesday's set Growing Wild and are stamped with SU!'s Not Quite Navy. It is matted with Not Quite Navy, also. The striped paper is some old Not Quite Navy I've had for a while. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink's  Birthday Basics.

Also, here is my December calendar page.  I couldn't post it yesterday because of WHAT IF? Wednesday.  And I wanted to post the card for our son-in-law because his birthday was Tuesday, plus, I've got lots of other cards to show you.  So, you get a double post today:)  The main image is embossed with a brass stencil.  It's mounted on shimmery silver paper.  

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

Repeat Impressions WHAT IF? Wednesday

It's time for another Repeat Impressions WHAT IF? Wednesday challenge!  You know the drill - Wendy (the owner and awesome artist of Repeat Impressions) comes up with a sketch and the Rock Stars make a card using it.  Then we invite everyone to play along!!  You can find the sketch and all the details on the RI blog, The House That Stamps Built.  Create your card, upload it, and link it to the RI blog.  Each entry earns you a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions.  If you use RI stamps, you get two chances!  Check out what the design team has come up with:

Ayana ~ Dana ~ Darsie ~ Harriet ~Joy ~ Julie ~ Maki ~ Michele ~ Robin

The stamp I used is called 2001-M, Peaceful Observation.  You can find it on this page.  I stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink on white, gray textured, and red cardstock.  I cut the cat out of the gray and the bow out of the red.  I colored the window trim with a Stampin' Up! Soft Suede marker.  I watercolored the panes with Soft Sky reinker and water.  I added Stickles to the snowflakes and glued on the cat and bow.  The embossed border was done with a Cuttlebug folder.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions and I cut it with a Sizzix die.  The ribbon is from Martha Stewart.

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