Tulips, Please Card

Happy Friday!  I hope this post finds everyone well, happy, and ready for the weekend!  Me, I am!  I have a wonderful friend who needs a German Chocolate Cake for a party on Sunday.  So, she asked me to deliver her cake on Saturday.  So, I am excited to bake something wonderfully yummy!  (I'll post a photo or two this weekend {smile})

But, before I tie on an apron and get the oven heated, I wanted to share a sweet card I am teaching tonight.  Yes, I do workshops on card making.  LOVE it! and I really get energized by the ladies who come out to my classes.  A lot of fun!  So without further ado, here is tonights workshop card:

Recipe:  (all products used to create this card are from Stampin' Up!)  The card stocks used are: pool party, lagoon, and whisper white.  The stamp sets are: Dictionary, and Love is Kindness.  

I stamped the dictionary stamp onto the lighter blue cardstock and heat embossed the lettering with white embossing powder.   I stamped the Love is Kindness stamp with Black ink.  I used my blender pen and ink pads to 'color' the tulips.

I poked a hole on either side of the newspaper roll and threaded my gold bakers twine through and tied in a simple knot.

I wrapped gold satin ribbon across the large, embossed panel, before adhering it to the card front.

I matted the small panel with lagoon card stock and used foam adhesive to adhere it to the card front. Viola!

Ok, some tips and tricks:  You want things to repeat, so that they belong.  Use a small print back ground stamp, or pattern paper that coordinates with your focal image.  You don't want the background to be too busy.  Also, use 'matching' ribbon and twine, so the colors repeat.  You also want your ribbon/twine to compliment the card stock.  And finally, use the same color of card stock, but different shades, to ground the card.  

The card is pretty, didn't use every technique or tool in your craft space, and you didn't have to spend a $100 in supplies.  Remember, to use what you have.  And have fun doing it {smile}

Thank you for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day!

Daughter's Card

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful, selfless mothers out there.  I can now share a card I created.  I used the sketch over @ Mojo Monday for this card.  However, I wasn't a great fan of the diamond shape, so I used a different shape.  

I used pattern paper from Kaiser Craft.  When I saw this pattern paper, I instantly thought Mother's Day.  Don't know why, but that was my first thought.  Maybe its because it reminds me of vintage wall paper, or the fact that I truly miss my grandmother.

here is the sketch:

here is my card:

The polka dot pattern paper is from Heidi Swapp.  The reverse side has different texts on it.  But there is just something about this color of polka dot pattern.  Its not blue, its not green, is something that is a wonderful blend of the two.  

The floral and rich red pattern paper is from Kaiser Kraft: Telegraph Road. I just LOVE it.  

Ok, I changed the diamond shape for this top note shaped piece.  And the rectangle piece I switched for a coin envelope.  (Yeah, I made my own.)  I added the red pattern paper to the outside of the envelope to help give it some character.  I machine stitched the pattern paper to the envelope.  I used some gold bakers twine and tied a double bow, tied the key and button to the flap.  

I added a tag to the envelope.  I stamped 'Happy Mother's Day' and 'I can't imagine a wold without you' on the tag.  Because I truly can't.  It's amazing to me how when we are younger, us girls don't want to be our mothers.  But when we become mother's ourselves we immolate them.  And we are happy to.  

I did change the banner piece coming out of the rectangle piece.  I simply used a tiny vintage safety pin to elevate my banner.  I stamped 'made with {heart}' on the banner piece.  Because I truly did {smile}.

The key was purchased last year, for a craft I was working on for some Christmas craft fairs, and I have a few left over.  Oh, and the stamps are from Verve: One Person.

Well, I am off to my daughter's house to have lunch with her and her family.  Then to a local restaurant to take my mother-in-law out to dinner.  Take a moment to let your mother know how special she is today.  and always.

Spring . . . New Begining

It's not officially spring, yet.  But the weather in certain parts of the country make you think it is.  And what a perfect time to celebrate the arrival of a new bundle of joy!  

I selected some pretty pattern papers in some beautifully soft hues of spring.  Now I have 3 grandsons, but my granddaughters out number them 4 to 3.  For me, making girly stuff, is sooo much easier than making boy stuff.  So why fight it.

I looked around the internet, and found a super usable sketch for this particular creations, over @ Cardabilites.  Here is their sketch:

I just love all the banner pieces, staggered, and a variety of patterns.  It even has a sentiment banner!

This card was really a lot of fun to make {smile}.  The difficult part was photographing it.  The embossed piece would either look 'black' or a shadow.  urg.  

I heat embossed the sentiment in pewter embossing powder onto vellum card stock.  I used pattern paper from a variety of different companies.  I used a half 4" white paper doily for the scallop trim pieces.   I added a multi-loop bow under my corduroy button for the embellishment.   I added some machine stitching around the border of the card.  I thought it would add a little homespun creativity.

My ribbon piece, is actually two pieces.  I machine sewn the ribbon to the front of the card, with the bakers twine under, created a multi-loop bow, and used the bakers twine to secure the button to the bow.  Here is a photo:

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you get a chance to play along with the wonderful folks @ Cardabilites.  This card will be for sale at the Spring Craft Fair at the Albuquerque Christian School, March 15, 2014.

SAB Card-Gift Combo

~ photo heavy post ~

Howdy, howdy peeps!  Last week, I was pretty productive, I think.  I went to a get together with some crafty friends, and we did a gift exchange.  The rules were pretty simple: use current Stampin' Up! supplies.  Easy peasey, right?  

Well, I made a card-gift combo paper craft.  I posted a sneak peak on InstaGram earlier in the week.  But, I wanted to share the finished product with you, now.  I'm pretty happy with how it came out.  However, I must give you the disclaimer now.  The photos aren't the best.  I was running out the door, when I realized that I hadn't taken any photos.  So, I shot a few with my phone, because I couldn't quickly locate my camera.  (an organizing problem).

Anyways, back to my card-gift combo.  I call it that, because it acts like a card (open the flap) and has a drawer to hold a gift.  Simple.  But, a wonderful surprise!  Here are the pics and a little bit about it {smile}:

the cover

I used very vanilla card stock for the whole project.  But, I wanted to add a little more heft, so I matted all my pattern papers with pretty card stock.  The whole outside, is matted with pool party card stock.  I used a new pattern paper from the Sale-A-Bration catalog: Sweet Sorbet (#133521).

a close-up of my paper blossom

To create this paper blossom, I used the Flower Shop stamp set (#130942/130939).  I used the coordinating punch: Pansy (#130698) to punch out three stamped blossoms.  Then I cut, rolled, bent, and shaped the petals into this beautiful blossom.  I added some glitter to the petal tips, to add some sparkle.  I added a clay button I made, and tied it with some of the new bakers twine: Gold Bakers Twine (#132975).  I thought that the metallic threads added a little bit of glamor to the project {smile}.

the side

I used Pool Party Seam Binding (#125582) to hold the 'card' closed.  I think it adds a bit of softness.

open

the inside 

I used a Window Sheet (#144323) to hold the 'gift' within the 'box' portion of this project, and to provide a little sneak peak of the gift.  The 'gift' for this project are the hand-made embellishments.  The paper blossoms and clay embellishments are all hand-made and use exclusive Stampin' Up! products.  

The 'gift' is contained in a 'drawer', so you slide-out a tray, that holds the embellishments.  I kept the inside simple, so not to distract from the beauty of the hand-made embellishments.  (I stamped the 'box' portion before assembly, using Creative Elements (#128523/122647).

and the matching bag

I used the same pattern papers Sweet Sorbet to decorate the front of the gift bag.  I like things to match {smile}.  Then it looks like it belongs.  I did use the Blue Ribbon stamp set (#131964/125981) to make that adorable 'ribbon' for the sentiment piece on the bag.  I think it adds a bit of fun, to the over-all look.

I did stamp the back of the white bag with my custom stamp for branding.  I used pewter embossing powder and heat emboss the image.  It came out real pretty, but for some reason, I can't get that image to load.  UGH! how frustrating.  (the image is on my InstaGram acct.)

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope that you like my creation.  If you want to get your hands on these (and other Stampin' Up!) supplies, just stop by my shop here!  And receive a little surprise in the mail, from me, with every order during Sale-A-Bration!  (Jan 28th - March 31st, 2014)

Now go create something beautiful! {smile}