Lovely Thank You Cards

CTMH Dream Pop Paper...how I LOVE it....

I spent a lot of time with Later Sk8r paper and made 19 cards so far...so I went back to the Dream Pop paper and made a couple more before the promotion ends. I have plenty of paper to keep making these beautiful cards, though, so stay tuned for even more cards on this crafty blog.

Both cards also feature a SNEAK PEEK at the June CTMH Stamp of the Month, A Flowering Bunch, using the sentiment!
 
It was so easy to frame the Dream Pop paper, layer it, and cut a couple of embellishments with the Cricut Artiste cartridge.

I just added some other quick embellishments with ribbon, baker's twine, buttons and glitter glue to make these fabulous! 

Thanks for looking!

History-Birthday Balloons

Happy Happy Balloons!

Happy Happy Balloons!

These are some of the cards I was making for Birthdays last year. I usually make a set of cards that I can go to quickly when I need a card! 

I made several with this theme, because I loved the paper and it went so well with my stamps. Many of my cards start with the paper, then I start looking for stamps that match.

I fussy-cut the heat-embossed balloons. And, yes, there is a lack of ribbon, but my basic birthday stash each year needs to be unisex so I can use them for anyone in a hurry.

Orange is not usually my color, but it's cheery and fun! Twine for the balloon strings was difficult to attach and tie those tiny little knots, but I repeated it on several cards.


Paper:
Basic Gray Cupcake Collection

Stamps:  
Balloons - Stampin'Up Birthday Whimsy 
Sentiment - HeroArts Big Candles
Happy Tag - HeroArts Birthday Messages

History - Birthday Cards

I've been working on CTMH cards, so for a change, here is one of my cards from January 2013. I have many boys & young men to make cards for, and many of them play video games. 

I bought a Technology paper stack that had this computer-type paper, and a couple of pages with glossy texting images, which I cut out. I heat embossed the Happy Birthday. The stamps are clear, which helped in the placement.

Paper:  DCWV Generation Tech stack
Stamps:  Inkadinkado Fun Alphabet

Thanks for Looking!

More CTMH Cards

I have made several more Later Sk8r cards, which you can see on my CTMH blog, so my next post will highlight one of my historical cards.

Father's Day in Turquoise, ahem...Lagoon

Created for my dad. I'm pretty sure he won't be looking on my blog. Although he could possibly navigate to it from Facebook...hmmm. He's a pretty smart guy. 

The inside will be stamped with a Father's Day Sentiment.

The stars and frame were cut with the Cricut Artiste Cartridge. I loved just dialing up a size and getting different stars. These are 3", 2" and 1-1/2". 

Then I ran them through my Sizzix (yes, I know it's old-fashioned, but it's quick & it still works just fine!!!)

The Star stamped on white daisy with Lagoon ink is from the Pinwheel stamp set...only available until the end of MAY...

UPDATE: I've added some detailed pix...

 
Paper:  CTMH Later Sk8r, Lagoon, Outdoor Denim, White Daisy
CTMH Inks:  Lagoon, Outdoor Denim
CTMH Stamps:  Pinwheel, Perfect Fit-Frames 2
Stamps: Lucky Guy (Studio G)
Other:  Stars Embossing Folder, Baker's Twine, brads
Thanks for stopping by!

Later Sk8r Birthday Gears

Later Sk8r Birthday

I am still fighting a fever...with new antibiotics, so I'm confined this glorious Memorial Day weekend.

Not what I had planned, but the positive side is that I was able to make some cards.

I just sat down and cut out a bunch of gears from my Cricut using the patterned Later Sk8r paper and the Artiste cartridge. It was so easy.  The hardest part is economizing on the patterned paper -- I don't want to waste a bit of it!  When I finish making cards from the Later Sk8r paper packet, I will calculate how many cards it provided :)

Just sharing a cute masculine card I cranked out yesterday.



I Pinned this idea from Bethany Rielage, then CASE'd it. A link to her blog is included below. I also have a side-by-side comparison in my Pinned & Cased Pinterest board.  I think it's interesting to see how I implement other people's designs and ideas into my own cards.

Bethany's blog: 

http://stampingathome.blogspot.com/2013/02/mojo-monday-281-later-sk8r.html

Monkey Business

Lonely Card

   I had a request for some Baby Shower for TWIN BOYS invitations...so I made a few samples.  The expectant mother wanted monkeys.   This sample was my favorite! In the end, the shower-throwing committee selected some pre-printed cards.  It's lonely because I can't use only 1 invitation -- that won't result in very many attendees. I don't actually have a large stamp that says "twins".  So I used a sticky note and masked the word "wings" and added a "t" in front to make "twin".


I used:   

• Spellbinders Wonky Rectangles dies
• Versamark ink
• Monkey Stamp:  Changito Pair by Stampendous
• Cursive Sentiment: Stamp Baby by Cloud 9 Designs
• DCVW Animal Crackers paper stack
• Twin -- Maya Road Art Journaling Words
  

   Showing this card off prompted the request for the twins congratulations cards posted previously. 

   Maybe it would be cuter if I put "It's Twins!" in the top left, and add "baby" instead of twin at the bottom right.  I didn't use any ribbon because it was for boys. What do you think?

    I have the paper and materials to make several more...maybe I will make a set and post it on Etsy!  Or, maybe I will just make some twins and friends birthday cards using the rest of the materials.


Thanks for looking!

Twins...Again

I wasn't sure if the requestor would like my first card, so I tried another design.  Loved it, too!  And so did the giver.  She took both cards. YAY!


The patterned paper is layered with white, and the sentiment is computer-generated and punched with an EK Success border punch. 

The onesies (TPC Studios) are stamped with Versamark ink, heat-embossed, and colored with watercolor pencils and blender pens.

Shout out to kharmagirl at SplitCoastStampers.  I CASE'd your adorable card..here.., and now wish I was learning how to use Copic markers.  Maybe in the future. But thank you for providing a wonderfully cute card to case :).

Twin Card #1

I had an opportunity to make a card for twin baby shower. The lucky expectant mom is expecting one of each, a boy and a girl,  so I got to combine a lot of colors.

I didn't want it to be to-o-o pink and blueey, so I chose a multi-color polka-dot pattern and green. The giver loved it!

The onesie stamp is TPC Studios. I masked off the word "Allstar" on it using a post-it note and overstamped with a little star and a heart instead! 

When masking, prepare enough pieces so you can remove it for one impression. Then use another piece to re-ink the stamp, removing that one before you stamp the next impression. (I had to make multiple onesies to get 2 good ones...that happens sometimes).

The onesies are heat-embossed with pink & blue embossing powders, then colored in with watercolor pencils and blending pens.
The sentiments were computer-generated onto white cardstock.
Hope you enjoyed it!

The design was not my original...so I am giving credit to the original designer here.

CASE'd from an adorable twin card by mama six   on splitcoaststampers.com

 

Later Sk8r

Finally had a chance to play with my Later Sk8r papers and made two great birthday cards for boys. With 7 nephews & 4 grandsons, I always need "man cards". 

First, I cut out several different gear shapes & sizes using the CTMH Cricut Artiste Cartridge. 

There is a great gear border on the cartridge, so I cut several of those, too.  

The Birthday stamp is from the CTMH MyAcrylix Perfect Fit Birthday set, which I punched out with a 1-1/4 circle punch and laid over the gears.

For the second card, I dry embossed a piece of Pear cardstock with a diamond plate dry embossing folder [Tim Holtz].  I added the zip strip from a B&T Duo sheet. I stacked the gear border and several gears, topping them with a die cut gear stamped in Lagoon ink with a gear from the In Gear MyAcrylix set.  I stamped Happy Birthday from the Perfect Fit-Birthday set with Lagoon ink.

With all the pieces I cut, I am ready to quickly put together several more cards with die cut embellishments. I had a great time making these 2 cards & I hope you enjoyed them!

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!

 

Blingy Card

This card sparkles & has a mix of trendy black, pink & green.  I cased a PIN from Mary Fish at StampinPretty.com because I had the same stamps.

The Stampin'Up Birthday Whimsy cake and the Small Script sentiment are great here.  I heat-embossed both. I used spellbinders petite scalloped circle for the black layer, and a white gel pen to dot the scallops.

I added sparkly ribbon to the silver hardware and some gemstones in the corners. 

I made several similar cards during recuperation from a minor surgery this spring, so don't be surprised if you get one this year!

Thanks for stopping by!

History: K&Co Paper & Card Bonanza

I Fell In Love...

...with the K&Co Designer Mat Pad in the McKenna patterns.  Over a holiday break in 2010, I made 40 cards with the paper. And I. Had. Fun. For Days.

Paper often drives my designs. To me, it sets the tone.  So sit back and peruse the delightful cards I made with this beautiful paper! My scanner did not pick up the white or ivory card base, so some appear a bit cut off. I've learned since then. :) 

I embossed EVERYTHING with Peridot Embossing Power.

Stamps are Stampin'Up -- Hydrangea Vase is from the Bloomin' Beautiful set and I used the Flowers of Gratitude sentiment. I also stamped a grid in gold ink on the background paper for a subtle shimmer.  The border punch is a Martha Stewart doily pattern.

This one used a vellum sentiment and a different Martha Stewart border punch.

The hydrangea vase was colored with watercolor pencils and I used blending pens to smooth it out.

If I were to make this card today, I would add some bling, I think.

 For this one, I used an embossed border around the sentiment instead of punching it out, and an EK border punch for the coordinating strip of paper and the edge.

 I stamped the SU Fine Lace background, in VersaMark, and then applied copper PearlEx for a shimmery background. I layered a vellum sentiment over the attached paper strips.

 This SU sentiment is from the Ageless Adornment set, plus an Inkadinkado Hydrangea bloom, which I fussy-cut. The border along the bottom of the card was a rub-on. As you can see, it doesn't matter who manufactured the products...I just throw things together that I think go together.  That's the pure fun of it!

 Then I changed up the design with a different background paper, a different sentiment treatment & a subtle gold scroll (Anna Griffin-All Night Media) stamp on the left side.

After all this cardmaking, I had a LOT of scraps. So, I punched some circles, and layered a scrap of paper with a scalloped edge for a sweet edge treatment, and stamped and embossed the Fiskars Happy Birthday sentiment, which I punched with a matching Fiskars scalloped circle punch.

 One of the papers in the stack had a different tone, so I used the same scroll and embossed it in black and added a pre-glued paper doily ribbon. The frilly border around the sentiment is from Fiskars Vintage Farmhouse set. It was a little more difficult to fussy-cut, but turned out well. The pansy is from the SU Flowers of Gratitude set.

 






I used the dogwood stamp from the same set on this variation.

 

A different border punch gives a different look entirely.  I brought out the color by backing the punched Martha Stewart border with a purple strip in this last example.  

There were many more cards, but they all used similar styles, and I don't want to bore everybody.

Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane and the fun I had with this paper pack.  Someday I'll even use the second stack I bought because I loved it so much...tee-hee. 

Thank you for stopping by!

History - Design Challenge Template Cards

After completing the Take Ten Design Challenge in 2011, I liked the template so much, I created 2 more cards with the same design!

The versatility of the template speaks for itself. 

The pink card uses the Thanks stamp from the Stampin' Up "Lexicon of Love"  set and a miscellaneous scroll that I picked up on sale at JoAnn because I loved it.  And I got to use the beautiful border punch over text.  I copied an old book page and misted it with SU Ruby Red re-inker. I also misted the originally cream-colored paper flower with the same ink to achieve the same color.

I have never been able to part with this card...and if I do, whoever receives it will be getting a VERY special card.  

How many of us have cards that we just cannot use?  We should take a poll!


This masculine Thank You card uses a variety of images from a Graphics 45 sheet and some rub-on gears. 

I misted the card with black ink to "antique" it. Each section of the card was layered, and I inked the edges of each piece. The green/gray background layer is Tim Holtz paper. Antiqued Brass brads, coil and a gear over a clock face added some steampunk pizzazz. A twisted fiber also adds interest without frills.  The sentiment is also Stampin' Up.

I was able to send this card to my father -- and I received some high praise!

Thank you for looking at my cards today!

History: Two Take Ten Cards

These 2 cards were published in the Summer 2011 edition of Take Ten. 

I made them for a Design Challenge. 

 

Card A

Card A uses an older SU set, A Quiet Life, with a Fiskars Scalloped Oval border, which matched a Fiskars scalloped oval punch.

All of the stamping is heat-embossed.

The woman is colored with watercolor pencils and blender pens (these were created pre-Copics) LOL!  

Then I bordered the sections with a Gold Paint marker to make them stand out.

A little sheer ribbon, a couple of paper flowers & some bling finish this sweet card.

Card B

I think that heat-embossing gives cards a special raised surface look. Plus it's easier to color the images without the outline ink bleeding.


Card B  uses Bird Calligraphy, Crafty Individuals™ Rubberstamps by Magenta.  I actually stamped and heat-embossed the original one at my stepmother's house and brought it home to use it later.  When it was combined with the design challenge layout and a sentiment from Unity, it all worked!



These were the first cards I had published.  It was very exciting...but I sent the originals in without return postage, which I regret. They were still very nice cards!

Cards from Branson

Oh, we didn't quit making cards with Chantilly paper...we tried the Dream Pop paper too! And combined it with the Pinwheels I made with the Cricut and the Pinwheel Stamp of the Month! So much fun!!!

Chantilly Cards III

More of our beautiful Chantilly paper cards!
This one was a team effort!

We used the Pink Glossy Solid Dream Pop paper for the pointed border (Martha Stewart punch). The sentiment is from the CTMH My Acrylix Perfect Fit-Birthday Set, stamped in Cotton Candy and punched out using a 1 1/4 circle punch, layered with a 1 1/2 circle punch on the Chantilly duo paper, using the green patterned side.

Some ruched ribbon and a sheer ribbon bow are the finishing touches!


The Chantilly Workshop includes some pink glitter gems that add just the right sparkly bling to this card!

Chantilly Cards II

More of our beautiful Chantilly paper cards!

This one just uses a border punch and a sentiment from the CTMH My Acrylix Set - Card Chatter - Birthday!  So cute!

Cardmaking Day!

We went to Branson MO for a graduation & spent an evening making cards! Apparently I am not the only one who loves the Close to My Heart Chantilly paper! I had a blast working with our nieces to make the wonderful cards! 















I have totally gotten them hooked on cardmaking, too!

Super Invitations!

I cased a design for my nephew's 5th Birthday Party -- a Superhero party! I also had a 2nd design as a sample. Nephew wanted both! Because I ended up in a time crunch, I got some help from DH & my friends, and got 20 put together and delivered! The stamps of Superman and the City are from a retired CTMH set and are heat-embossed with detail black embossing powder. I stumbled into the Creative Imaginations Superhero paper at Archivers!   Perfect  match!

Oh no...more?

Another Pinwheel Graduation card!  We know a lot of HS grads this year! 

The stencil is the reverse of the numbers I cut for the previous card, using the CTMH exclusive Cricut Artiste cartridge.

More Awesome Graduation Cards

Card A                                                        Card B

These pinwheels are fun to work with!

And I love the glossy Dream Pop paper for backgrounds! Look at that shiny faux wood finish!

Card A uses a patterned strip off the top border of a double-sided sheet, and a non-CTMH sentiment.

For Card B, I cut this year's graduating class number using the Cricut Artiste cartridge, set at 1".

Pinwheel Graduation Card

At long last another pinwheel card! Pinwheel is the May SOTM for CTMH. I mixed it up with the CTMH Dream Pop paper.

I cut the card base from Whisper Cardstock into a 4.25x11 strip and folded it at the top. The outside of the pinwheel is cut using the Cricut Artiste cartridge (exclusive to CTMH). The inner piece is stamped with Cotton Candy ink, fussy-cut and attached with a pink glitter brad!!! Add A ribbon stem, a graduate sentiment from TPC Studio and viola!

I think the inner pinwheel piece can be cut using the Cricut, but I haven't experimented with it yet. Sometimes I just need to get a card done :).

The reason I have a separate blog other than CTMH is because I have other stamps and though I try, I find that I don't have exactly the words I need in my CTMH stash o'stamps. I just cannot be monogamous to CTMH.

I don't think it's a requirement of the company...and I would think they would want people to include CTMH products as part of a healthy stamping stash. I find that it expands my possibilities!

Well, enjoy the card!

Most Beautiful Mother's Day Card Ever

As promised, here is my most beautiful Mother's Day card ever.  I used the China Fragments stamps from Heartfelt Creations, with the Spellbinders Nested Teacups Shapeabilities and Lacey Circles dies. The paper is Die Cuts with a View (DCWV) Garden Tea Party. Soooo pretty!

More Keyless Info

A related article...it seems I am behind the curve on new technology...but my complaint is still valid.  This article is 2 years old, yet cites the same problem I recently experienced.

Is Keyless Start Another Technology Backfire?

By KARL BRAUER February 17, 2011

"... data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaint database, suggest a growing pattern of keyless-start-related mishaps, ranging from a loss of engine power to apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. In the former case, the car's computer apparently thinks the key fob is not present (even when it is) and shuts the engine off."

In my case, it wouldn't start at all.

"...technological failures play a role here (the inability of these systems to accurately sense the key fob's location is really the heart of the problem)..."

So this technological problem was documented 2 years ago and it is a feature on new cars.

Just sayin'....

Container Garden

My new container garden...we'll see how it grows :) Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, carrots, onions, spinach, zucchini and beets. Plus some herbs.  Starting small...it's been a long time since we gardened. I never grew carrots in our large garden due to the soil, so I will be excited to see these. We added vermiculite to loosen the soil so they grow straight. And I have seeds left to re-sow the lettuce and radishes to extend the season. It should put a few salads on our plates this summer.

Technology...and Keyless Start

Okay. I'm going to diverge from crafts and garden discussions to discuss technology.
I recently went on a business trip and received a brand new rental car. The car came with a keyless start feature.
I was unprepared for this new advance in technology. My first reaction was, "Where does the key go?" Thankfully the car told me.  The display said press the brake pedal and push the start button. It worked the first time.
However, at lunch, I was dismayed to return to the car, and, as I sat in the car, keys in hand,  the display read, "cannot detect the presence of keys."
Now, how does this affect me? Well ladies and gentlemen, it should not be a surprise that when the car cannot detect the presence of the keys, it does not start. At. All.
I may be older... but I appreciate the numerous technological advances in my life. This, however, is a problem. When I put a key in a car I expect to crank the engine and go somewhere. I do not expect the car to hold me hostage due to its technological failure. At some point, I think, we need to use some common sense in applying these advances to every single item we manufacture. Or, a la Orwell, these items will control us.
What if I had been in a bad neighborhood? What if someone was holding a gun at my window similar to what happened to my mother at a convention center?  She bravely started the car and drove off and lived to tell the tale. If I had been in a similar situation, and the vehicle had balked at starting without detecting the key, I would have died in this fancy new car with a fancy new keyless start.
So, car designers need to re-think the keyless start and apply some common sense to ensure that technology doesn't control us and that our loved ones have the opportunity to be safe.

OK

I spent a week on a business trip in Oklahoma City...so no card-making time...and of course there was yard work to be done today. But I got a few things planted in planter boxes as the beginning of my container garden. I miss having a large garden. We had one for 8 years at our first place and we grew everything from black eyed peas to brussel sprouts. So we'll see how I do with containers.

CK Convention in April; Sneak Peek

I went to the Creating Keepsakes convention in April with my stepmom and stepsister...and had a WONDERFUL TIME.  We attended 3 cardmaking classes and learned some new techniques. I also bought some beautiful stamps and spellbinder dies from Our Daily Bread, amongst others.   Why am I just now posting this?   Well, I got busy with my CTMH consultant project, and I also work full-time. So I will be posting about the classes and the cards we made in the future.  Right now I just want to say that I think I made my most beautiful card EVER for Mother's Day...can't post it yet for obvious reasons....but I was using some product from the convention and I am so excited to post it next week, I have to give a little preview...

Another Dream Pop Card

I used the Cricut CTMH Artiste cartridge to cut different sized pinwheels from my Dream Pop paper. The banner sentiment is included on the top strip of the patterned paper. The 2" and 2-3/4" pinwheels are the correct size for the May SOTM, Pinwheel. Once you have several different patterns cut they are easy to assemble! 

Playing with Dream Pop Paper!

I was able to spend Friday and Saturday nites playing in my craft area...and working on some Dream Pop cards. I didn't want to mess up too much paper in the Cricut, so it was slow going after a couple of false starts.  I learned that to make pleated circles, I need to cut them at 1/2 the final size.  For 2-inch circles, the folds are then at 1/8"...which are tiny! But the card came out adorable!!! I did case the design from Pamela O'Connor, to give credit where credit is due.

Wish I had more time to make cards but life, housework and grocery intervened.  Life is good -- went to a friend's daughter's bridal shower and I had "date nite" with DH and saw Ironman III. So, a very good weekend!

DREAM POP

My CTMH Dream Pop paper arrived last night and I cannot wait to get a few spare minutes to start making some luscious cards & layouts. I just had to open the paper pack and spread it all out to look at all the new patterns.
I know, it's a sickness... but I just love getting new patterned paper! Its not like I don't have a ton of paper that needs to be used already :)
The glossy patterned paper is going to be wonderful to work with! Stay tuned!