Colorful Butterfly

Here is another idea that I saw in the new catalog.  I have never used the large butterfly from this die and it was a lot easier to do than I had thought.  To do the butterfly I used a piece of Very Vanilla card stock.  I then stamped the swirl with versamark ink and clear embossing powder.  After I folded the piece in half and lined it up on the die, ran it through the Big Shot I was ready to add some color.  I used my Sponge Daubers to rub the colors where I wanted them. I sprayed a spritz of the Smooch Spritz (my first try...boy was I nervous).  It is hard to tell but I punched the borders of both the designer paper and the Bashful Blue paper under it.  I offset them just a smidge.

Card Details:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Designer Paper printed from MDS, Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla
Ink: Bashful Blue, Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron. Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip, Versamark
Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Beautiful Butterflies Die, Beautiful Wings Die, Clear Embossing Powder, Chocolate Chip Corduroy Button

Sr. Saints Invite

I was asked to come up with a nice but simple invitation.  Our home school kids serve a special dinner once a year for the Senior Saints of our church.  They prepare the meal and this year will be putting on a program.  The teen girls will get together and make these invitations and then pass them out.  So this is the design I came up with this year. The butterflies are held on by mini glue dots and sprayed with Shimmer spray.

Card Details:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Perfect Plum

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop Edge Border Punch,Champagne Shimmer Spray, Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die

Butterfly Bookmark

I have been wanting to make one of these super sized bookmarks for a long time. I thought they would be a cute gift to hand out with thank you cards to teacher and so forth.  First I stamped a flourish and then ran the cardstock through the impression folder.  I adhered it to the chipboard with the Tombo Mono Multi glue.  After it had dried I ran them together through the Big Shot with the Beautiful Butterflies die. I punched a hole with my Crop-a-dile to put the rhinestone brad through.  Glued the back and front together with the jumbo paperclip in between.  I used E6000 glue to hold it all together.  They are great to add a heavy magnet on the back and use to hold notes on the refrigerator.  I sprayed them with Champagne Shimmer Spray to give them a sparkly shine. :)

Card Details:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Paper: Chip Board, Almost Amethyst

Ink: Lovely Lilac

Accessories: Finial Press Impression Folder, Big Shot, E6000, Jumbo Paperclip

Gift Bag

So I needed to make a gift bag for my hostess and close friend last week. I wanted one that would work for different occasions. I layered some of the Big Shot Dies and punches in order to make the flower.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs,

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie Patterns Paper, Summer Sun, Ruby Red, Old Olive

Ink: Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Scallop Circle Die, Scallop Circle #2 Die, 5 Petal Flower Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Photo Corner Punch, Naturally Serif Alphabet Die, SU Gift Bag

Celebrate

Well, I have a workshop in a few weeks so I have been working on cards. I try to keep them simple while I am showing so I do not take much time. That gives them more time to play. I lined the scallop circle punch up on the end to make the design after the celebrate.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Celebrate Everything

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red Patterns Paper, Whisper White

Ink: Riding Hood Red

Accessories: Top Note Die, Big Shot, Serif Essentials Alphabet Die, Scallop Circle Punch

So this one I needed for a friend's birthday and I decided to take the last one and dress it up a bit. I layered the Top Note and added the Jumbo Eyelet and Rhinestone brad.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Celebrate Everything

Paper: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Old Olive Patterns Paper

Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Top Note Die, Big Shot, Serif Essentials Alphabet Die, Scallop Circle Punch, Jumbo Eyelet, Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads

Baroque Haiku

So today I took the time to do the Sketch Challenge. I knew the second I saw the sketch what Designer Paper I wanted to use. I love that the new catalog shows what colors match what paper. What a great idea that was! I stamped the flourish and then sponged around the edges.

To do the flower I stamped in the So Saffron, used the Old Olive marker to color the center and then rolled the edge in the Tangerine tango Pad.

Card details to be posted very soon!

Shadow Box

Yes, I am still living. Life just got way too busy and something had to give. Things are still busy but I have a stamp night coming up and a day I got to actually stay home (until soccer) so I decided I should actually make one of the cards that I sketched out while I was sitting a play practice. Our Home Educators graduation/program is next week, we finish school tomorrow, Soccer ends next week so life may just slow down a bit. It has been so long, I almost forgot how to blog (or stamp). I've lost my rhythm.... Well anyway...back to my card.

One of my customers requested we do a shadow box card. So this is the one I made up for that night. I cut 2 pieces of card stock 4.25" x 5.5" I scored each edges at .5" and 1". I then used my coluzzle to cut out the center circle. I stamped En Francias Background on the river rock in the background. I adhered the edges on with the red sticky tape. I put the dots around the edge of the scallop circle punch with the white gel pen. I cut out the center flower with my paper scissors and that is mounted on the background with a pop up glue dot. The pearl is from the Pretties kit and adhered with a mini glue dot. The flowers on the outside are punched out with the Boho Blossoms punch. I sponged around the edges with Soft Sky ink. I punched the corners with the rectangle punch and tied the stitched ribbon. How's it look Liz? :)

Stamps: En Francias Background, Baroque Motifs

Paper: River Rock, Soft Sky, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip

Ink: Soft Sky, River Rock, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Coluzzle, Boho Blossom Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Rectangle Punch, Pearl from the Pretties kit, Soft Sky Double Stitched Ribbon

Vellum Dragonfly

Last week Britta made a Vellum cardstock card. I thought I would give this a try with this card. The colors came from the color challenge today. It is hard to see but I stamped the dragon fly with Pretty pink all over the vellum. The main image was done with markers on the stamp. I then covered the image with versamark and embossed with Iridescent Ice Embossing powder. The inside layer is not visible but it is a half of an inch bigger with whisper white ands Lovely Lilac. I was so tempted to grab my Blossoms Abound for this set because the colors would go so perfect with a flower set. I pushed it out of my mind and tried for something different. I sponged Pretty in Pink on the sentiment. I did not want white white and I thought the pink pink would be too much too.

Stamps: Bugs and Kisses, Circle of Friendship, Baroque Motifs

Paper: Vellum Cardstock, Pretty in Pink, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White, Certainly Celery

Ink: Pretty in Pink, Lovely Lilac, Certainly Celery, Versamark

Accessories: Iridescent Ice Embossing powder, Circle punches-1/2", 1", 1 1/4", Scallop, Wide Certainly Celery Grosgrain

Off to clean my numerous fishtanks....can you see the smile on my face....

Cracked Motifs

Well, I think I finally have the bugs worked out of my web-site. Yesterday it did not want to upload so I was down most of the day. I really got sick of seeing server not found! Besides the fact that I was really sick. I had a nasty cold hit me again Sunday night. I guess I'm thankful it did not hit while we were at State. I would of hated not being able to watch my son. If you would like to see him, or my other sons, wrestle you can find pictures and videos on our family site. I will be playing around with the site and adjusting things as I go along. Please let me know what you think or give suggestions by either a post or an e-mail. I'd love to hear from you!

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So I am still working on the sketches I did while we were in Madison last weekend. This is the one I had intended for the Misc card for my Card Buffet next month. If you missed my quandary, due to my site being down yesterday, please check out yesterday's post. A few of my ladies had asked if we could do the cracked glass this month. I thought this would be easy enough to throw in with this group. I took the colors from the Color Challenge on SCS today.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Paper: Basic Gray, Soft Sky, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Gray, Soft Sky, Versamark

Accessories: Tool Kit for Piercing, Glassy Enamel Embossing Powder, Rhinestone brad from Pretties Kit, Soft Sky Stitched Ribbon

Mint BonBon

Well, the challenge on SCS for the day did not work for me since it called for an item I do not have. Stop gasping, there are somethings I do not own, or ever intend to own... :)
So believe it or not this color combo came from the outfit I wore to church yesterday. I had a green tapered cardigan sweater over a brown v-neck t-shirt with a brown skirt and green shoes (that match the sweater perfect). For those who know me, you know I like to be invisible, so you know I just have to love these shoes in order to wear these colors (and I love shoes!)
When I finished the card and showed my kids, they all said it reminds them of peppermint bon bon ice cream. The Happy Birthday came for the It's your Birthday set. I did not want all the words so I colored what I wanted with the marker. I did the same with the flower.

Stamps: Print Pattern Background, Baroque Motifs, It's Your Birthday

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Gable Green, Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Gable Green

Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch

Off-subject: I finally started working on building my web-site this weekend. I hope to have it up by the first of the month. So I designed a new watermark to go with the DD theme. What do you think?

Cherish Sketch

So today is Sketch Challenge day. I tried to make this harder than it was. I would cut and take a break, stamp and take a break, re-do the flower and take a break. I do not know if I have a cold medicine hang-over but my brain seems to be in slow motion today. Well, at least I got some housework done between making the card.

Stamps: All in a Row, Baroque Motifs

Paper: Basic Black, Old Olive, Rose Red, Whisper White

Ink: Old Olive, Rose Red

Accessories: Fusion Flowers, Pretties Flower Kit, 5 Petal Flower Punch

Trifold

So I think I am stuck on Groovy Guava ...Today's challenge was to do a tri-fold card. That is to fold your card as usaual and then fold the front back again. I had another scheme planned and my son closed my catalog. He thought his sister was browsing and I could not remember what it was. So I went and grabbed some Cardstock for my shelves as he was browsing trying to find the page. He did not find the exact page but found a card that used the same colors I picked out. We thought it was funny...Snowing again today. I need to look into getting a light tent to get a better true picture.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Paper: Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Groovy Guava

Ink: Groovy Guava, Apricot Appeal

Accessories: Scallop Punch, 1/16" Circle Punch, Large Oval Punch, Small Oval Punch, Wide Celery Grosgrain, Ticket Corner Punch

Scallop Punch

Boy did I have troubles with the Color Challenge today. I am just in a slump. I was sick yesterday and I guess my brain is still in a slump. I did this card twice and did not like the first one (see bottom of post) so I took it apart and re-did it. Now I think I liked the first one better. I guess I should just take some more meds and go back to bed....My new catalog order will be coming in today so I will have new toys to play with tomorrow. I did not order much as I am saving for February Sale-a-bration. Maybe fresh stuff will get me going again.

This is the one I re-did....should I have just left it? I only re-did the side top layer. The inside is exactly the same.

Card #1:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Short & Sweet

Paper: Rose Red, Apricot Appeal, Sage Shadow

Ink: Sage Shadow, Rose Red

Accessories: Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Antique Brads, Tool Kit for piercing, Scallop Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch

Card#1

Stamps: Flannel, En Francais, Short & Sweet

Paper: Rose Red, Apricot Appeal, Sage Shadow, Kraft

Ink: Sage Shadow, Rose Red

Accessories: Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Apricot Appeal Grosgrain, Kraft Taffeta Ribbon Scallop Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch

Celebrate Friendship

Sorry, I have had family here for the last couple of days and have not had much computer or stamping time. This card was done for today's Sketch Challenge on SCS. I had to drop the front layers a bit to fit the word Celebrate on it. I think it still qualifies ;). This will go to one of my dear friends as a Thank you for some special things she has done for me. I used the designer paper behind the button to give it a design.

Stamps: Celebrate Everything, Baroque Motifs, All in a Row

Paper: Basic Gray, Old Olive, Soft Sky. Whisper White, Fall Flowers DSP

Ink: White Craft, Old Olive, Soft Sky, Basic Gray

Accessories: Clear Button, Basic Gray Taffeta, Scallop Punch

Easy Thank you

I am always in the need of easy Thank you cards especially around this time of year. So today I had very little time to stamp and decided to throw together this easy card. I just stamped the background twice turning it once between. The medallion I stamped in red, wiped off the edge and colored with the green marker. Cut and mounted, tied ribbon on and adhered together.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Paper: Real Red, Glorious Green, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red, Glorious Green

Accessories: Red Gingham Ribbon

Sketch Motifs

So, I guess I am still addicted to using the Designer paper. I thought this sketch challenge would make a very elegant card. Usually when I use a stamp with two colors I just grab the markers. Since I had already chosen my colors before I chose my stamps I was stuck. There are no markers in the In Colors. So I stamped in the light color first and then colored over with my Always Artichoke marker the areas I wanted different. After I had set my eyelet in the center I kept out my crop-a-dile and punched the holes around the outside corners. If you cannot see I also pierced along the edges of my two background panels. I could add any sentiment in Always Artichoke ink to the bottom panel. I thought, for now, I will leave it to add when I decide who the recipient/occasion will be.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Paper: River Rick, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla, Brocade Background DSP

Ink: River Rock, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Jumbo Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Ticket Corner Punch, Tool kit for piercing

Thank You Wreath

So today the challenges on SCS were not appealing to me. I'm sure there are so many other places, but as Christmas gets closer free time gets less and less. So I did not have the time to waste to find them :), Last week I had a class on Christmas Thank Yous. I never have enough of them. So today I thought I would throw together an easy one layer Christmas Thank you card. I just took the flower from Baroque Motifs and colored with the marker. I stamped enough to do a complete circle. Yes, I know it is not a perfect circle, but I have never found a perfectly round wreath either. :) After I had finished my first circle I thought it needed to be fuller. So I then just stamped the flower off once and around the inside and outside of the wreath. I added the sentiment and ribbon and it was finished.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Short and Sweet

Paper: Whisper White

Ink: garden Green, Ruby Red

Accessories: Red Gingham Ribbon

Faux Snowman/Twill Bookmark

So yesterday I was scanning through a Christmas magazine and I saw some adorable felt stitched snowman. I thought it would make an adorable card. So this morning I got up hoping the challenge would fit so I could use it. No such luck, so I just made it anyway. I punched the snowman body out of 3 different shapes. I then ran the fat end of the marker around the edge of the circle. I used my grid and punch from the tool kit to do the holes around the edge. I just keep turning the grid to poke the next hole. Every thing is popped up on Dimensionals.

Stamps: All in a row, Cold Play

Paper: Always Artichoke, Dash DSP, Mellow Moss

Ink: Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Pumpkin Pie, Ruby Red

Accessories: Circle Punched- 1 3/8", 1 1/4", 1", 1/2", Word Window Punch

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Another great way to make a bookmark it to use the Wide Twill tape. I have so much of it left over because I tend to grab the 2 other sizes. So I decided to make very simple bookmarkers. All you need is either Craft Inks or Stazon Inks to stamp you image and the Twill tape. Any size would work. I frayed the edges by finding a loose thread and pulling. One end is always harder than the other to pull. I heat set the inks with the iron and it is ready to go.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Ink: Craft- Old Olive, Ruby Red

Accessories: Twill Tape

Happy Thanksgiving/ Post it holder

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!! No matter who or were you live we should celebrate our Thankfulness everyday for everything. "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:18

With this card I started with my colors I wanted to use. I could not decide on just the 2 that I usually do so I decided to step in up and make a mega-layer card and really enjoyed it. The background is done on regular Very Vanilla card stock. I stamped the leaf with versamark and then brayered over with the 3 different colors. Then I used the darkest color, Really Rust and stamped a few leaves on top. After I had mounted that section I used my All in a Row set to add the rows of faux stitching. Boy, did I spend time trying to figure out how to place the sentiment. I tried every punch I own to see what would fit... I still do not know if I am happy with it or not, but it is on there. :) The main leaf is colored with re-inkers and the Aquapen.

Stamps: En Francais, All in a Row, Thankful Season

Paper: Summer Sun, More Mustard, Really Rust, Very Vanilla

Ink: Summer Sun, More Mustard, Really Rust, Black Stazon, Versamark

Accessories: Tool Kit for Piercing, Vintage Brads, Vintage Eyelets, Photo Corner Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Key Tag Punch, Clear Embossing Powder , Brayer

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Cleaning out my craft closet last week I found a lot of stock left over that I had bought for various projects. So I am putting them to use and hopefully giving you ideas that you can use for some nice, easy and inexpensive gifts.

I had a whole stack of 4x6 Acrylic photo holders. I made my design and put it in the frame I then adhered the post in pad to the outside and tied the ribbon underneath. The ribbon is a great place to attach a matching pen.

I first embossed the flower and then punched it with the scallop circle punch. I then took the 1/8" circle punch and went around the edges. I layered it slightly off on a Chocolate Chip Scalloped circle. I used the ticket corner punch on the background.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Paper: River Rock, Chocolate Chip, Brocade Background DSP

Ink: Chocolate Chip- Craft Ink

Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Ticket Corner Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1/8" circle punch, 4x6 Acrylic Frame, Post it pad, River Rock Double stitched ribbon

Sketch / Picure Clip

So I have wanted to to do a card to show you these beautiful starbursts. This card was created for the Sketch Challenge today. After punching out all the tags I just could not let them go to waste. So I used them as the border to this card. The second I saw the sketch I saw a pocket card. After I had made the star I covered it in Versamark and Iridescent Ice embossing powder. The 2 stars are held together with mini glue dots and adhered to the card with a pop-up glue dot. For the button I smeared Crystal Effects on the back of the button and presses it on the paper and let dry. I then cut around it with my hobby knife. If you have any extra edge just use your sanding block to remove. I then poked a hole through with a pin to put my silver cord through.

Stamps: Dotted BG, Baroque Motifs

Paper: Sahara Sand, Ruby Red, Dash DSP, Vellum

Ink: Ruby Red, Sahara Sand, Versamark

Accessories: Large and Small Tag Punch, Mellow Moss Grosgrain Ribbon, Iridescent Ice, Clear Button, Silver elastic cording

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I've had this clip sitting on my desk for going on 2 weeks now. I had meant to make it into a name place holder. Then I thought in order to use them for my family when they come for Christmas I would have to make 21 of them. I then knew there had to be something else I could use it for :). So I decided to make it into a picture holder. I first covered the base with my designer paper. I rubbed my flowers from my Pretties Kit in the ink I had chosen. I then used Crystal Effects to hold it all together. After it had dried I stuck the scallop on the clip with a pop up glue dot.

Paper: Brocade Background Designer Paper, River Rock,

Ink: To dye the flowers-River Rock, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Flowers and half pearl-Pretties kit, Office Clip