Lattice Frame with Bird

I made this card after being inspired by challenge 31 at Joan's Garden.  The parameters of the challenge were to use lattice, frame, flower, bird, vertical sentiment.  I cut my lattice out of patterned paper and backed it with another patterned paper.  The frame was then cut out of yet another patterned paper.  I'm sorry I don't know the companies... I had one stamp "Serenity" that was vertical, so wanted to make a "serene" card.  The creams and blues hopefully evoke that feeling of calm.
Supplies:
Paper: various patterned, cardstock, and Olympic Paint Chips (branches)
Dies and punches:  Cherry Lynn (lattice); Spellbinders (frame)' Martha Stewart (branches)
Stamp: Hero Arts (tiny bird)
Ink: Stazon Timber Brown, Copic Marker B23
Ribbon: May Arts 1 1/4" Crinkle
Gems: Hero Arts Sparkle Gems
Embossing Powder: Comotion (Essence of Monet)
Note: Serenity was embossed then overdrawn with a Copic marker to darken it.
Ref: http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2012/08/this-weeks-challenge_23.html

Marker Storage

A question was asked on Splitcoast how people store their markers.  This is what I came up with.  I took one of those storage cubes you can buy at Michaels, Hobby Lobby etc. (I don't remember the brand name).  I bought the one that hade the shelf inserts.  Then I took a set of plastic boxes that I'd purchased as gift containers (somewhere online).  As you can see, I set them on their sides, 4 across on each shelf.  Copic markers are grouped by color category. The bottom tier are other markers,colored pencils, etc.There was a very small space at the end which I use for odds and ends of coloring markers.  This unit can be placed "anywhere".  Mine is just beside my work area.  Hope this   inspires you to create your own customer storage space.

Sweet Baby

I'm clearing out old stamping magazines! But, of course, with each issue I have to page through it one more time.  I saw this layout in a 2006 "Paper made easy" magazine and was nudged to make this card. I stamped parts of a baby themed rubber stamp to make the label on the tag and colored the tiny safety pin with a permanent marker. I had planned to distress the edges of the tag, but forgot and glued it down..next time.....

Supplies:

 Paper: cardstocks,  DCWV, and ?

Stamp: Inkadinkadoo

Misc: Zing embossing powder, May Arts Ribbon, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Prima marketing pearls, safety pin  and unknown flowers

CHF Wolf

Using an animal was the challenge at Cornish Heritage Farms this week.  This wolf's head caught my eye and is my very first attempt at incorporating a digital stamp into my card design.  To make his card, I cut an oval off center in the front of the card.  The space was then backed with a piece of shiny silver cardstock.  After cutting the wolf head out, I placed him in the opening.  Branch punches were also tucked under the opening.  A silver medalion was threaded with black ribbon and placed on the ribbon band.  3 Black glitter dots were then used to finish the card.  (Okay, so the medallion is probably a coyote, but I can pretend it's a wolf right?)

Supplies:

Paper: Grey and silver cardstock

Stamp: Cornish Heritage Farms

Die: Spellbinders

Punch: Martha Stewart

Ribbon: May Arts Silk

Misc: Glitter dots - unknown mfg.

Ref: http://www.cornishheritagefarms.blogspot.com/







Back to School

I was so honored to asked to be the featured guest designer for http://www.myshericrafts.blogspot.com/ Challenge 92.  The chosen theme, Back to School is perfect for this time of year.  Let's see, there's readin', writin', and arithmetic!  Apples for the teacher, sharpened pencils, and remember those plastic rulers?  Looking through my paper stash, I found a sheet of "Teacher's Pet" by Imaginisce.  Then came the layering of images and items that reminded me of school days.  Finally the layer of black was added and the whole was then mounted on a cream colored card base.  It won't be long now!
Supplies:
Paper: Cardstocks, Imaginisce Patterened Paper
Dies: Spellbinders (apple), Die-namics (pennant)
Stamps: Unity (notebook paper)
Misc: May Arts Twine, Ruler tape (unknown), Pencil from my husband's golf bag, and a torn page from and old children's book (Billy Whiskers...1923ish)
An added thank you to my friend MJ for her suggestions.  Without them, this card would have been less!

Triple Rosettes

Where does time go?  I'm trying to squeak under the wire for the blog challenge for My Sheri Crafts and also complete a card for the current JustRite challenge.  Well, it made sense to try to combine the two.  Combined I needed to use opposite colorwheet colors (pinks/greens) and use something fan folded (rosettes).  Cut out circles, make rosettes, figure out a design (as I go) and select a stamp.
Supplies:
Paper:  Cardstocks, Prima, Paper Studio
Stamp: JustRite Mini Sentiments
Dies: Tim Holtz Rosettes, Spellbinders Circles and Labels
Accents: Pearls, Swirls, Butterflies (Prima Marketing)
Embossing folder: Cuttlebug
Inks: Memento Bamboo Leaves, Distress-Barn Door
Ref: http://www.myshericrafts.blogspot.com/
http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/

Christmas White on White

Oh goodness beginning to think of Christmas and making those cards!  This one is a white on white with a bit of "toned down" mirror matting.  Joan's Garden's challenge this week was to create a Christmas Card, all white, with something from nature (such as a deer), and glitter or stickles.  I had just received this new embossing folder and thought it would be fun to turn it into a simply styled Christmas Card.  The blank hillside was a perfect place to stamp the sentiment and lots of glitter on the hillside and all the night stars (really glitters in "real" card)  This was a fun card to make.  Maybe I'll make it again with a hint of color ... red nose on lead deer perhaps?
Supplies
Paper: White, Mirror cardstock
Stamp: JustRite Large Fancy Holiday Sentiments
Embossing Folder:  Crafts Too
Ink: Versamark
Misc: White Zing Embossing Powder, Flower Soft Hint of Violet Glitter Frosting, Diamond Stickles
Ref: http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2012/08/this-weeks-challenge_16.html

andMore...Ribbon Lady



Once every couple of months, May Arts ribbon sponsors a creative challenge.  Using their silk, crochet, and jute "ribbon", I created this 3 dimensional ribbon lady.  I used a picture of this lady I'd found on the internet (somewhere), then carefully made a pattern that I could use as my base.  Once I had the dress, bouquet and had made, I placed her on a "placque" I'd made decorated with pearls and die cuts.  The ribbon lady is removable and can be used as a paperdoll, refrigerator magnet, or simply used as is...perhaps in a powder room? 

Winter Butterflies

 

JustRite's 078 challenge was themed "Christmas in July".  As I was going through my JustRite Christmas stamps (whoa I didn't remember I had so many lol!), I came across this cute set that matched butterflies with winter.   What better to do than match the warmth of summer to the joy of Christmas/winter!  I caged the idea of putting butterflies in a wreath from a card made by Amy Butler.  Butterflies were punched from a colorful Christmas paper and from clear and stamped vellum (JR Snowfall Background).  Snowflakes were punch from white cardstocks then layered over a deep pink cardbase that had been distressed with Berry Distress Ink.  A shimmer vellum was cut to cover the front of the card base and attached with a pair of snowflake brads.  The premade butterfly wreath was mounted over the stamped JR sentiment and snowflake.  Lastly, a wreath hanger and bow was make using silk ribbon.

Supplies used:

Stamps: JustRite Snowfall Background, Merry Little Christmas set

Paper: Paper Studio (I think), vellum, pink cardstock

Ink: Distress berries, Memento black, Colorbox popcorn

Punchs: Martha Stewart butterflies and snowflakes

Ribbon: May Arts silk

Misc: Brads and pearls









A bit of Christmas in July

With our temperatures soaring to the 113 degree level, it was actually rather nice to cool off with a Christmas in July theme for JustRite's Challenge 078.  As so frequently happens the card pictued here is nothing like it was supposed to be lol!  It was supposed to be layered vellum...it ended up being textured cardstock.  I love love love JustRite's new Snowfall Background stamp so that became the card's primary image.  I simply added an emossing folder, a sentiment and a little bit of bling...and voila the card is done! The mirrored layer picks up the color in the surrounding area...how fun!  Is it cooling?  Merry Christmas (now in August)
Supplies Used:
Paper: Cardstocks, mirrored cardstock
Stamps: JustRite Make It Merry and Bright, Large Fancy Holiday Sentiments, Merry Little Christmas
Embossing Folder: Crafts Too Swirl Baubles
Ink: Distress Faded Jeans
Misc: Stickles Stardust

With Sympathy

Joan's Graden challenge #28 ( http://www.atjoansgardens.com/2012/08/black-and-red-what-beautiful-color.html ) wanted us to use red and black, have a flower be the focal point, a border at the bottom, and use an embossing folder.  I kind of stretched  the border req78rejeht  at the bottom as anything I put with my checkerboard background just looked "stupid"...so, the design of the checkerboard edge I'm calling my border. First I wove the strips of paper, then embossed the whole.  I then mounted it on red cardstock which I then adhered to the grey cardstock base.  Sadly I needed a sympathy card and didn't want a typical subdued kind of card.  This is what I ended up with.  Thanks Joan for this challenge's criteria which gave me a good jumping off point.
Supplies Used
Stamp:  JustRite Large Fancy Sentiments
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots
Inks: Memento/Distress
Dies: Cherry Lynn (leafy swirl) Spellbinders (tags and labels)
Paper: Red, black white, green, grey cardstock
Misc: May Arts Silk Ribbon

Cornish Snowman

Black, White and ? is the challenge over at http://www.cornishheritagefarms.blogspot.com/.  Black, White, and Blue...couldn't help but think of Red, White and Blue...so I chose to make a winter card...and added Blue as the ? color.  Getting ready for holiday mailing I guess.  I took CHF stamp Embracing Christmas and stamped it on white cardstock.  Spellbinder circle dies were used to cut the image out.  I then covered the image with a used fabric softener sheet....there is glitter but it is barely seen on the photo image...  I used a blue Copic marker to shade the night sky and mounted it on a black scallop circle cut out using a Spellbinder Scallop Circle die.  The card base is white, which is then layered with black, then is a layer of white tissue paper upon which I placed Martha Stewart Snowflake punches (in white).  A Navy Blue May Arts Silk ribon bow finishes my Black, White, and Blue Card.  I see more places for a bit of glitter! (love the sparkle!)