Flowery Card Sketch

My Card Crafts group is having a sketch swap for July.

I decided to go with blue and white and try out my new Martha Stewart punch.

I began by creating the "hello" using Microsoft Word and then trimmed it down and punched the edges with Martha Stewart's "Doily" edger.  I attached it to the blue cardstock with glue stick.


Next I tackled the flower by cutting a long strip of photo paper and edge punching it with my new Martha Stewart deep edge punch " Garden Trellis".  I recently had found a video for making flowers using border punches and wanted to see if I could make this one work.  I'm pleased with the result!  Of course I had to make my own changes, lol.  I attached the flower with a brad.


The butterflies were punched with Tonic's "Butterfly Multi-detail".  I detached the butterfly from the paper by snipping the top and bottom of the body.  I glued these on only by the body and folded the wings upwards.


I decided the ribbon would have been too much so I chose to leave it off.

How About a Birthday RAK

After receiving so many lovely birthday cards from people in my card groups I decided to return the gesture.  I got a new punch from Martha Stewart and used it to create the first of my RAK's (random acts of kindness).  It's for someone in one of my card groups but I'm not telling who...lol!

This punch is one of the deep cutting punches.  This time I did the punching on the front opening and then trimmed the card to size.  I added some punched stars and then lined the inside with a white insert.  Pretty cool...I love this punch!

Birthday Wishes 6

This lovely card is from Jackie who lives in England!  The butterfly is a sticker that has been stitched upon and the border has been punched and lined with the dark pink.

And Then Some More

As I sat reading my e-mail today I found myself looking at a scrap of white cardstock that I stamped on and punched out of yesterday.  An idea occurred to me that I could make it into another card and this is what I came up with.

The white rectangle with the bush had a square punched out of it.  I backed it with a black rectangle which was attached to a slightly larger white rectangle with some foam squares.  I stamped another bird on scrap and punched it out with a circle punch and glued it into the black square.  All of this was attached to a black card base.  The blackbird reminded me of the Paul McCartney song and that is what I chose for the words on the front.

Black and White and Then Some

I got my CardMaker magazine for July 2010 the other day and was inspired to get my silhouette stamps out and make a card using my interpretation of a different technique (pg 14).

I used a Penny Black stamp called "nature's dance" and black ink and stamped several times on scrap cardstock.  I took my 1 1/4" square stamp by Paper Studio and punched out six squares.  I made sure that one of them included the blackbird image.  Next I cut six  1 1/2" squares from black cardstock and attached the stamped square to the black square with a foam square for dimension.  Lastly, I attached all the squares to the front of a white carstock base card.

Deja Vu

I can't believe Mother's Day is here again.  It seems like just yesterday when I made my sister this card!

I got the idea from Kaboose and made my own version.  My sister likes red so I changed the color palette. I punched flowers out of various patterned red and white paper (two punches for each flower).  I had some red wire and cut a piece for each flower. Then I glued the wire to the wrong side of one punched flower and the matching flower piece   on top of that.  I cut a piece of styrofoam and glued inside the window box.  I added glue to the wire tips and poked them into the styrofoam.

I punched a border design ("Diamond" by Fiskars) to add to the front of the window box.  I also added patterned paper to the inside so it would show through the window.  The sentiment was done with Microsoft Word.  The window valence is real lace!

Here is a closeup of the window box.  Since the card was so dimensional I had to send it in a box!  LOL

Challenge Card 2

After yesterday's black and white card I decided to go very light.  I started with the basic harlequin in "laurel leaf" green.

I used the same color ink to stamp three flowers with Stampabilities (Large Gerber Daisy).  After stamping I cut the flowers out with a scalloped punch.  Then I used a sharp blade to cut on the top sides of three of the diamond shapes.  I tucked the flowers under the points and secured with glue.

I glued "pearls" to the flower centers for an elegant touch.  I stamped the sentiment (Stampabilities) and punched it out with the same punch I used on the flowers.  It was too light to read so I added a black line down the middle of each letter.

I didn't have any colored paper that went with the ink color so I edged the base card with the same ink I used to stamp with and it turned out much better than expected! 

Chicken Fever

An Australian member of one of my card groups has been ill with Ross River Fever.  I decided to cheer him up with a Get Well card.

The stamp I used (Get Well Chicken) is from Whipper Snapper Designs.  I colored the design with Copic markers.  The message was made with Microsoft Word and matted and punched out with an oval punch.  I used the same "basketweave" patterned paper for the insert.

On the Road Again

I've done a lot of traveling in my youth...Europe, Israel and of course the US and Canada and over the Mexican border.  I've not, however, had the opportunity to travel with my sister until we got older and I can tell you it was much better than the times we spent in the back of the station wagon fighting all the way to Chicago to see our aunt and uncle! "Grin"

A few years ago we took several mini trips around New England when I was visiting her and then on to a much longer trip when she and I flew to Oregon to visit my nephew.  In many ways I enjoyed that time with her more than the trip itself and the trip itself was fantastic!!!

I long to do another trip with her but time and circumstances make it difficult.  This card is a little reminder for her and a happy thought to hold and savor!

We both have the same sense of humor so this card is right up her alley!  I hope she gets a kick out of it.  The image (Thelma and Louise) is from I Brake For Stamps.  I colored with Copic markers and colored pencils.  The other images I got from the web and the words I did on Microsoft Office.

 I think the inside sums it up nicely!

Baa Baa Baa

This stamp from Whipper Snapper Designs gave me a giggle and I just had to make a card from its inspiration!

I used Copic markers to "gussy up" the image and Microsoft Office to make the title.  I had some purple Aster Daisy patterned paper that I used for a mat on the outside and an insert on the inside.

I punched the edges of the insert with an EKSuccess border punch (Daisy Chain).  I also punched out a daisy for the "bud".

Will The Real Spring Stand Up

Well, Spring has finally arrived!  How do I know for sure?  The robins are busy looking for worms, the dust storms are churning and the lilacs are blooming.  I just love the scent of lilacs...brings back great childhood memories!  Dust storms...not so much!!!

For the month of April I signed up to do three "Spring" card swaps.  I used the same stamp but different colors.  Here is the first one.

The stamp I used is called "Tulip Window" by Stamps Happen, Inc.  I stamped it on white cardstock and then colored with various things, Copic markers, watercolor pencils and paint pens.  

I chose colored cardstock to go with the coloring in the picture and cut a 5" x 6.75" piece and used Martha Stewart's continuous edge punches (Double Loop) to edge the piece.  Since you can only do certain sizes I had to finagle the measurements by cutting it in half left to right and sliding it together and matching the loops to make it shorter.  Lastly I glued the picture to the looped background.

I measured contrasting cardstock for the card base and attached the picture to the folded card.  On the inside I added a piece of cardstock the same color as the loops and corner punched the corners with the "double loop".  Then I stamped it with a Hero Arts stamp called "Spring Memories".

 Here is variation two...

 Here is variation 3...

Happy Birthday Sis

My sister's birthday is coming up soon (April 17th) and I made her this card today!

This is a front view.  The card style is called "stair step" and is decorated with Sizzix die cuts.  The letters (Girls are Weird) are cut from stripped patterned paper.  The cake (Birthday Cake w/ Candles) I cut out several times using different papers.  Then I cut the cake pieces apart and reassembled using different colors.  The sun, glasses (Champagne Glass) and swirls (Multi Swirls) are also Sizzix dies.

This view is taken from above to show the "insides" of the card.  I used the same patterned paper and punched the border with EKSuccess border punch (Xmas lights).  I figured the lights were festive!

This view shows the card folded flat!

Here is some information on "stair steps"
...Split Coast Stampers
...The Stamping Studio Blog
...Crafting the Web
...Project Tuesday
...Get Your Stamps Out

Lacing Up

This is another color challenge card I did last summer.

The base of the card is the blue.  The fuchsia panels had the outside corners rounded with a corner punch.  I added the silver eyelets and laced them up with silver cord.  I stamped the leaf and then stamped again without re-inking.  The sentiment (Stampabilities) is also stamped and the edges of the white are dabbed with the same blue ink.

Teabag Wings

Last summer I needed a thank you card and decided to make the following.

 

This is my version of a card I found on Card Inspirations.  The butterfly is teabag folding or origami and the flowers are both punched with Paper Studio punches and attached with a brad.

Spring is in the Air

I liked the way yesterday's card turned out so I decided to make another version.

Again I chose the ribbons and brads to match the daisy paper.  This time I printed the words on vellum and punched them out in a tag shape.  I also punched out another tag from the card base cardstock and put the two together before attaching to the card.

On the inside I used a leftover piece of the daisy paper and punched the corners with Martha Stewart's corner punch (Double Loop ).  I punched another vellum tag and stamped the sentiment (Stampabilities) on it.  Lastly I glued all together.

Sketchy April

Card Crafts is having a sketch swap for April.  This is the an example of the sketch that we are to use.

I chose to use the same patterned paper as I did with a previous card but without the embossing.  After choosing the paper I picked out two ribbons and three brads that coordinated with the paper.

I used an Emagination tag punch, a Paper Studio round scallop punch and a Paper Studio daisy punch to make the tag portion of the card.  The basic tag was made out of the same color cardstock as the card base.  The scallop was made from glittery cardstock.  The daisy was made from the patterned paper.  I cut two, turned one slightly and glued everything together.

On the inside I attached a blue paper that I corner punched with Martha Stewart's corner punch (Double Loop).  I stamped a sentiment from Stampabilities.

Rain Rain Go Away

For the month of April I signed up to make an iris folded card with the title "Rain Rain Go Away".

I made a template for the umbrella and I decided to use a hexagon shape to do the folding.  You can download it from here.  You will find the umbrella outline, the hexagon folding shape and two shapes to cut out in a second pattern to add to the finished folding.

I chose the blue with white dots for the folding strips.  When I finished with that I cut out the two separate pieces using the blue and white gingham patterned paper.  After applying glue I slipped those pieces under the edges top and bottom and pressed the resulting piece under a stack of books to enable the glue to dry.

I cut a strip of the main paper to make a handle and glued that down.  I also cut out raindrop shapes freehand from both papers and glued them down.  Lastly I printed out the words and trimmed and attached them.

On the inside I attached a piece of the the gingham patterned paper that I had punched with an EKSuccess corner punch (Bubbles).  This allowed me to add a piece of white paper under the "photo corners" so that the recipient could write a message if they wished.

A Pocket Full of Mice

Today's card is called the Diagonal Double Pocket Card.  It is very easy to make.

The directions call for double sided paper but since I didn't have any I had to improvise.  I folded the card as instructed and where the white showed I cut a paper to cover it out of another patterned paper and glued it in.

This is what it looks like without the tags.  The front was decorated with a circle that backs the stamped image from Stampabilities (Two Part Harmony) that has been punched out with a scalloped punch.  I stamped on white cardstock and colored it with pens and colored pencils.  The "Smile" message was stamped on the blue cardstock, cut out and mounted on the front.

This tag was cut out of a two inch wide strip of the patterned paper that I had glued to itself to strengthen it and to have a pattern on both sides.  The image was produced in the same manner as the image on the front of the card.  This also is from Stampabilities and is called Mudpie Munch.

This tag was made in the same way.  The stamp used here is also from Stampabilities and is called Peppermint Delight.  Both tags were punched at the top and then had some fancy yarn tied through the holes.  I also wrapped a piece of yarn around the front medallion.

All three stamps are from the House Mouse collection that I adore!

Bloomin' Sketch

For a sketch challenge in Card Making International I made this card.

The patterned paper has been embossed with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots embossing folder.  The center square on point is made on glittered cardstock and is glued on top of a light yellow ribbon which crosses the center of the patterned paper.  On top of the square is a flower I made out of the patterned paper (which is also embossed).

The flower instructions can be found on Valita's Designs & Fresh Folds.  The paper I used was not double sided so I cut pieces of the glittered cardstock to hide the outside edges underneath the flower folds.  I added leaves by folding some green paper in a similar manner and gluing in between the petals.  The center needed something so I glued a floral stamine (found in the bridal section of Hobby Lobby)in the center.

On the inside I used three scalloped circles cut out of the patterned paper and "tied" them together.  The border was created with the EKSuccess punch called "Daisy Chain".

This is the "sketch" that inspired the card.

Hello Chickie 2

Here's another version of this card that I made last Saturday.

This time I changed the colors, used the opposite side of the same embossing folder and added a feather to the chickie!

I didn't use a brad this time.  Instead I printed off Happy Easter on yellow paper.  I punched the bottom edge with an EKSuccess punch called "argyle".  I glued together two pieces of the turquoise cardstock and then glued the yellow paper to it.  I used foam squares on this section to raise it up far enough to prop up the front of the card instead of using a brad.  I also saved the "cutoff" section of the scallop from the first card and attached it to the top of the yellow for some added texture.

Ok sis, now you know why I save strange things, so BUG off!!! LOL

And here's a side view of the open easel card.