Card - Thanks

I did some shopping on the weekend. Several scrapbook store and found some dies I had not seen before. I also found an Office Depot that was closing out which was offering discounts on invitation envelopes and white cardstock. That's card making supplies I always need. I'm very disappointed that they are closing most of their Canadian stores.

I started with a brown card. I found this great star designer paper which I trimmed and glued to the card front. I cut a star in the same cardstock as the card and then a nested a smaller star in bronze metallic. I stamped my greeting with VersaFine - Vintage Sepia on a tan stripe of cardstock. I applied ink to the edges and the front.

Card - Thanks

I made a couple of thank you cards for the hospitality I received over the Easter Weekend.

I started with a rust colored card which I cut the front a bit shorter than the back. I selected my decorative paper and found some accent green paper which I added to both top and bottom. I added several silk flowers in coordinating colors and held them in place with a gold brad. I stamped the greeting with VersaFine - Onyx ink just below the green on the card front. The insert was cut short as not to show on the front.

Photo - Happy Easter Greetings

I hope you are having a great Easter weekend. I will be with family, some I have not seen for quite a while! It will be good. I think the weather will cooperate with seasonal temperatures. Get out and get some air, that a few pictures, hug those that mean a lot to you.

I took this photo of an Easter Lily and put it into the greeting.

Card - Birthday Candles

Somebody's turning 4! I made this card for a special little person. I cut the candles with a QuicKutz die. I chose bright colors. I glued them side by side and added the flames. I added the wick with a black marker. I stamped the greeting at the top with pink ink then surrounded it with purple stars from the candle. I added a navy ribbon and rubbed the edge of the card with neptune ink. It works!

Card - Felt Flower

I made a couple of these for my exchange group. I started with a white card and found an orange layer that coordinated with the centre of the turquoise flower. Then I added a large circle background cut a just a bit smaller than the orange. I placed the flower and sun opposite each other. I used Zot to keep the felt flower in place and glued the sun into place. I added white gross grain ribbon across and hung a small "Hello" tag onto it. It makes for a nice bright spring card.

Updated email address

Sorry!

I have just been made aware that I had not changed my email address on this blog. I have updated my profile so you can be in touch with me.

Photo - Snowballs

On my way home from work today I just had to take a few photos and have a bit of fun in the hopefully the last snowfall of winter. The snow was perfect for snowballs. You know the kind that is sticks together. Some kids had made some large snowballs in the park, can't miss that blue Alberta sky, and tractor tracks in the snow! I grew up in a rural area and as kids we made tons of these tracks in the snow. Tractor tracks were common to us so we would make them with our boots in the snow. I made some today!

Photo - Big Shot Work Space

I was tired of digging my Big Shot out of storage to use it which is at least 3 times a week. I reorganized my storage space to create a place where my die cut machine will live permanently. It includes a light, a place to hang a few tools (scissors and a ruler), quick access to plates and spacer. I added a bit of inspiration to keep the creative juices flowing.

Now, I just have to find the die I want, use it, place the scraps in the red waste basket and return the die to it's storage space. Much less clean up. I've tried it out and it works very well.

Card - Grunge Background

I created this card with a digital collage background created by Therese Malak. Find the file here. Thanks for the download. I sized the file to the dimensions I needed, printed it on white cardstock and trimmed it. I mounted it on a dark green card. I cut 2 stars in nested sizes with the Sizzix Star #2 die in 2 colors of cardstock. I stamped the greeting with Always Artichoke stamp pad. I ripped the top and bottom edges and then layered it onto the dark cardstock and trimmed as needed. I distressed the edges with the Always Artichoke. Quick and easy card!

Postage Stamps for Trade

I have used postage stamps for trade. Postage stamps are great pieces of art. They can be a great addition to a card, ATC, collage, and much more. The scan to the left is just a sample of the type of postage stamps I have for trade. The ones I will send will not be exactly as you see here. You will receive 50 special stamps (no Canada Flag or Queen ones) in a 6X9 envelope.

I'm interested in receiving the following in trade:

card stock, ATCs, rubber stamped images, stickers, die cuts, Designer Paper, decorative paper, ribbon, lace, embossed quarter sheets, flat buttons.

Email me if you are interested.

All Occasion Stack Class - Double sided DP

Another very versatile sketch. I used Stampin Up! double sided designer paper. Selected my card stock to match the paper. Trimmed the DP to be just a bit smaller than the card. Then cut the DP piece and turned over the smaller piece and just butted it against the other. Glued these down to the card. Placed coordinated colored gross grain ribbon over the joint and glued it to the inside of the card front. With the tall version you will need to place a small slit in the fold to bring the ribbon to the inside. I punched a small daisy shape from the DP cut off and placed it in the centre of the flower and a brad holds the flower onto the card front. I ensured that the flower on the brown card was ivory as in the DP and white on the blue card. With no greeting these cards can be used for any occasion.

All Occasion Stack Class - Little Birdie

Aren't these cute? I started with a post it pad in a bird shape I bought at a local craft store. Blue and Cranberry.

I selected a white card because the branch and the wing were white. I selected Designer Paper to coordinate with the bird color, trimmed it and glued it to the card. I added the beak shape with a white gel marker. Adding glue to the bird was a bit challenging because the post it glue resisted. I had to rub the post it back against fabric to dull it some, then I could add glue stick and then positioned it on the DP. I then glued the small branch below the bird with some leaves coming over the bird. I cut the wing with my Cricut, "Create a Critter" cartridge. It took several test tries to determine what size I needed. I then embossed the wing with the SU! Finial Press folder. Glued the wing on the bird keeping the sweep of wing in line with sweep of the bird body. I added white mini brad for the eye. I color printed greetings, punched them with the SU! horizontal slot punch and glued them to the top right hand corner. The greeting can easily omitted.

All Occasion Stack Class - Foliage Trio

I love this card template. I used it recently on these cards. I used 4 different card stock colors in this kit. Printed the greetings and the foliage dingbats in the same color on white card stock. I punched the colored circles with the SU! 1 3/8" circle punch. The foliage images were punched with the 1.25" circle punch. I then trimmed the white greeting into the rectangle and adhered to the card front. Layered the foliage onto the colored circles. The easiest way to space your circles is to place the right and left ones at the same distance from the outside edges. Then place the last one evenly spaced between those two. I've started developing a variety of greetings in this style. They cover birthday, baby, sympathy, illness, and a lot more!

All Occasion Stack Class - Robin Egg Blue Flowers

Here's the cards from my All Occasion Stack Class.

I started with Paula Dean blue flower punched and embossed shapes. I created the scallop from a MDS digital stamp and made it the right blue for the flowers.

Top card: I selected DP to match the blue then I selected red card stock to coordinate. I embossed a strip of pearl paper 1.5 x 5.25 with a dot embossing folder (SU! Perfect Polka Dots). I trimmed the DP to leave a space between the DP and the pearl. I added a red greeting to the digital stamp, printed it and punched it out. I selected red sequins and mounted the flowers with a sequin in the centre on a tiny white brad.

Bottom card: I selected DP to match the blue then I selected blue card stock to coordinate. I embossed a strip of pearl paper 1.5 x 5.25 with a dot embossing folder (Swiss Dots). I trimmed the DP to leave a space between the DP and the pearl. I added a brown greeting to the digital stamp, printed it and punched it out. I selected bronze sequins and mounted the flowers with it in the centre on a tiny white brad.

Cards - Easter Crosses

I had a request for some Easter cards.

Left: I used one of my watercolor backgrounds. Layered the digital cross and greeting onto it. Color printed it and cut it out. I layered that onto Kiwi Kiss card and then onto Tempting Turquoise card.

Right: I used another of my watercolor backgrounds. Layered the digital cross and greeting onto it. Color printed it and cut it out. I layered that onto a white card stock layer embossed with a Stampin Up! Elegant Bouquet folder. This was then added to a turquoise card.

Digital Cross: I created the cross by taking a high contrast photo of a small wooden cross against a black card. Then I was able to separate the light cross from the dark background. With this I saved the file with a transparent background so I can place it onto any background.

Card - Embossed Butterflies

I started with a white card. I cut some black card stock with my CM Wavy Cutter. I glued those down. 

 I printed three butterflies on vellum with my color printer then embossed them with clear powder. Be careful not to apply too much heat as the vellum will warp. 

I placed them on the card with a bit of clear double sided tape.

 I added a bit of accent with a white gel marker.

Card - Purple HB

Here's a card I made for a friend's birthday. I placed the organza ribbon about 1/3 down from the top fold using tape to hold the ends onto the inside of the card front. I layered the Spellbinder Nestabilities scallop circles purple onto white. I then layered the Stampin Up! five petal punchies over one another and placed a hole in the centre. Added a hole in the large scallop and through the card front and added the tiny white brad. I stamped the birthday greeting in blueberry with a small clear stamp.

The purple centre scallop was created with paper called Invisibles! by Heidi Swapp. I bought it on clearance at my local craft store. The paper has clear embossed patterns which show up when you paint the paper with color. I used watercolor applied with a wet foam brush. Worked like a darn. I made aqua, purple and yellow paper. There were several different designs. This one is "ornate art". 

Photo - Spring is near!

I know that British Columbia has these kinds of flowers popping out of the ground but ours are still under feet of snow. I'm not sure when they will appear. I went to the Muttart Conservatory yesterday for an infusion of spring, hope and reassurance. They had tulips, hyacinth, daffodils in a bunch of great colors. It was uplifting! I've put together a few of the pics into this collage. I used Photoshop Elements 8 to manipulate the files and create the collage. I really like the software.

Hang in there, spring is coming!