Cmas Card Challenge - April - Winter

The theme for the Christmas Card Challenge for April is "Winter". What comes to your mind? Snowflakes, snowmen, sleds, skates, icicles, sleighs, igloos, penguins came to my mind.

I resisted going for the easy snowflakes. I found a sled on my Joys of the Season Cricut cartridge. Excellent. Now I needed a context for it. I decided on a fence with snowbanks. I cut the fence with my Sizzix die in tan card stock and added texture with a brush marker. I created my background with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder on white card stock then brushed Bashful Blue ink pad over the bumps to represent falling snowflakes. I cut a piece of white card stock with CM Wavy cutter to make the snowbanks. I placed them behind and in front of the fence after brushing the edges with the blue ink pad. I cut the sled in black and the layer in red then glued them together. I added the lines on the sled with a white gel pen. Then I leaned the sled against the fence. I color printed the greeting and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I ripped the edges and brushed the edges with a marker. Used some tiny red brads to hold it in place.

Join me in making Christmas cards all year long! Post a comment with a link to your card. I look forward to see your cards!

I created 6 of these cards.

Total cards = 26.

Card Club - March - Leaf Trio

I designed and color printed my greeting which was printed to match the card on a neutral cardstock. I then punched three 13/8" circles in the card color and three 1.25" circles in the neutral color. I then used the Sizzlet Little Leaves die in the card color. I trimmed the neutral piece to leave a small border all the way around. Glued to card front. I then glued my three colored circles above the greeting. Then the three neutral circles. I then cut the little leaves branch into 3 different leaves and adhered those in the centre of my neutral circles. This design is so versatile. I made some in blue with white, brown with cream, purple with white. I designed 4 different greetings as well. Great card!

Card Club - March - Felt Flower

I really like the punchy color of these flowers. I found them at a local craft store. I chose my card to match the flower color. Then I embossed a layer with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, which was trimmed and glued to the card. I used hot glue to adhere the flower and leaves to the card. I added a short orange ribbon to the wire stem. Tah Dah! Easy!

I had pink ones, turquoise ones and white ones. For the white ones I left the white embossed layer with the orange ribbon worked quite well.

Card Club - March - Button Flowers

I designed the three flowers in Corel Draw. I printed the greeting and flowers on one quarter sheet of white cardstock. I cut the blue scallop border with my Die-namics die. I trimmed both to leave a small border of card. I trimmed the greeting from the remaining piece and glued it left of the blue border. I added my white ribbon across the stems of the flowers. I adhered my 3/8" pink buttons with small Zots to the centres of my flowers.

Again, a lot of color combinations. Red flowers with blue centres, yellow flowers with purple centres, and blue flowers with red centres.

Card Club - March - Tulip

I decided to make tulips for Card Club this month. A few girls will want Easter cards so I started with two designer coordinated sheets of paper. I selected a card that worked with the DP. I cut the flower with my Cricut from green card stock. I traced the tulip onto another paper and cut it out and glued it over the flower. I cut the greeting from the other sheet paper. I glued a contrasting strip of paper under the greeting strip and used a couple of brads to highlight the words.

The non-Easter ones feature the same layout except I replaced the greeting with a coordinating ribbon. I have torn the top edge of the purple strip then tied the white ribbon around the card front and knotted it just off centre.

Card - Custom Greeting

I had a friend order a couple of cards with custom greetings. I used an Astroparche -Natural card. I placed Anna Griffin flourish designer paper to the top two thirds of the card. I placed a piece of coordinating striped paper to the bottom third of the card. I die cut a leaf sprig with a die from Stampin Up! in coordinating card stock. I used my quick drying adhesive to put the diecut in place. I layered the color printed custom greeting over a layer of the same coordinating card stock. I added a deep green brad on the right hand side to balance the greeting.

Card - Silk Flower Trio

I started with a Kiwi Kiss card. I embossed a white card stock rectangle with the Victorian embossing folder. I then applied some ink to the edges with the stamp pad. I died the silk flowers with the re-inker which ensures they match. I added a second small white silk flower and attached the flowers to the card with white brads. I color printed the custom greeting and trimmed to fit the top half of the card.

Card - Kiwi Flower Trio

Another green card. I started with a Kiwi Kiss card. I had dyed several white silk flowers with the matching re-inker and let them dry over night. I added white smaller silk flowers and attached them to the card with terracotta colored brads to coordinate with my decorative paper. I cut my striped decorative paper with a scallop thin die. I glued 2 of the scallop borders to the top half of the card. I color printed my greeting, ripped the top and bottom edges and added 3 small buttons with Zots to the right hand side. This greeting was layered over the scallop die cuts.

I have a new scallop Die-namics border die - thin dies from My Favorite Things MFTStamps.com. I am very happy with it's proportions for card making. It's six inches long. Perfect.

Card - Flourish Paper

I was inspired by St. Patrick's Day coming and decided to work with green. The card is Astroparche - Natural which has a green tinge to it. I cut a rectangular piece of Anna Griffin flourish paper to cover the card front. I cut a strip of coordinating striped paper and placed it across the card in the bottom third I added a length of Spring Moss gross grain ribbon through a slot in the fold which was taped to the inside of the card. I created my small flower with the Stampin Up! Tri-flower punch with the flourish paper and a solid card stock. These were layered with the dark one beneath the light one. I added a small button with a Zot. Then used a Zot to attached the flower accent to the card front.

Card - Sympathy - Masculine

Another interpretation of the quilt card. I laid the quilt square accent on the top half of the card leaving an even border all the way around this time. I felt the button was appropriate for a masculine card. I used the same stamp as earlier and embossed it in clear powder. I added faux stitching by hand around the quilt square as well as along the greeting with a fine black marker.

Card - Quilt Sympathy

I created this card based on supplies from card club. I needed a sympathy card for my friend Susan. I created my diamond shape quilt design with the 4 squares as before. I felt that I wanted a softer look so I layered 2 white silk flowers in the center held in place with a brad instead of a button. I had grey ink that coordinated with the designer paper so I stamp the greeting and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I smudged the edge of the card with the ink pad and embossed those areas as well. The designer paper is from Stampin Up!

Card - Sunflower

I love sunflowers! I chose a royal blue card. I created the flower with Spellbinder's thin dies. I cut 2 yellow flowers, one dark brown center and one leaf. I chalked the petals and the leaf. I layered the 2 yellow petals over one another offsetting them to create a full flower. The center gets cut out on the yellow so I had to put it back in and tape the petal layers together. I selected a Cuttlebug large dot embossing folder for the white background and used it on the center as well. I mounted the brown center with a 3D Zot which gives a bit of dimension. The flower is a great size for this A2 card.

I'm going to try doing it in red to see if it will pass for a poinsettia. Keep an eye out it!

Card - Spring Colors

I've been saving this paper for a long time. We need a reminder of spring this week.

I selected matching card stock to the layer of patterned paper. I found silver cording to go with the metal flower accent. It was layered over a white silk flower held in place with a tiny silver brad.

Just a nice bright card!

Cmas Card Challenge - March - Monochromatic

The theme for March is monochromatic. Choose a color and select several hues of it for one card. Select light, medium and dark hues of a color. Texture is a great way to add interest if the colors don't offer a lot of contrast. Texture can be added with fiber, embossing folders, thermal embossing, felt, flocking, ribbon, and much more. What comes to your mind? Make a card and add a link to your card in a comment on this posting. I'd love to see what you create.

I chose a card stock textured with columns in a cream color. I added a layer of vellum that has seasonal text printed in a gold color then embossed with Pastel embossing powder. This powder allows the base color to show through and adds a pearl look to it. I cut a Sizzix star from pearl card stock and placed it over the vellum. I placed adhesive under the star to keep the vellum on the card stock and the star to the vellum. I trimmed star to the card edge. I added cream colored brads in opposite corners to help keep the vellum in place.

I managed to get credits and inserts in all of them so far. That was my drawback last year.

I made 8 of these.

Total cards: 20

Card Club - Feb - Large Scallops

This is a nice soft card which would be great for a baby or sympathy card. I cut the two scallop circles with Nestabilities thin dies. They are layered and glued to the top half of the card. I added a large five petal punch which has been embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and a small five petal punch all held in place over the large scallops with a tiny white brad. I added a soft organza ribbon below the scallops. It is wrapped around the card front through a slit in the fold and knotted on the front.

The aqua 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".

Card Club - Feb - Digital Greeting

This card works best if you have 2 papers that coordinate. I chose my cardstock based on the patterned papers, one for the card and one for the smaller layer. The larger patterned paper is trimmed to 5.25x4.00". Once that is glued down I assembled my accent. The kraft layer was punched with the Stampin Up! Scallop Trim border punch. The smaller patterned paper was trimmed to leave a nice border on top and bottom. I tied a piece of ivory gross grain ribbon around this accent and knotted it and trimmed the ends. The scallop greeting was printed from a MDS digital file and punched with the Stampin Up! scallop. It was mounted with 3D foam tape. This whole accent was then glued to the card.
Again, many color combinations of paper, printed greeting, and ribbon offers cards for a wide variety of occasions.

Card Club - Feb - Quilt Card

Here's the tools I use to create a line of evenly spaced holes. Plastic canvas, a push pin and an old mouse pad. I checked for plastic canvas shapes on-line. Circles, stars, hearts would be perfect for cardmaking.

I chose cardstock to match my 4 quilt squares. I created the squares with my 1.25" punch. The easiest way to accomplish this technique is to find double sided printed cardstock then you know they coordinate. I glued them to a 3" square blue layer, added stitching with a fine black marker and adhered the button to the centre with a Zot. I added stitching around the card edge by punching the holes with the tools picture above. I then connected the holes with a marker. I placed a thin gross grain ribbon below the faux stitching with a slit in the fold to allow to wrap around and knotted it on the front.

I had many color combinations in this card and it allowed me to use up lots of small scraps. It just takes time to coordinate the ribbon and cardstock.

Card Club - Feb - Metal Flower

It's cold here but I hope most of my ladies show up for card club tonight. I had 5 ladies in my group and it went very well.
I used a bright pink card to match the pink in the vellum. I layered 5 inch squares of white cardstock and vellum and then ripped the edge of both. Glued the white layer on and trimmed it to the card edge. The vellum I trimmed longer on the top so I could glue it to the inside of the card. I placed a small piece of tape on the left hand side under where to ribbon will be. I created the knot by tying a short piece of ribbon on to the long piece. I taped the ends to the inside. I placed the metal flower over the white silk flower and braded the whole thing to the card with a tiny silver brad.

Digital Card - Ice Cream Parlor DP

I received my Sale-A-Brate MSD CD yesterday! Here's the card I quickly created. It's ready to print!

I don't own My Digital Studio so I colored the greeting with Adobe Photoshop Elements. There are several free photo editors available. Photo Pos Pro is one I have used.

I'm very happy with the digital files. I understand that the RGB values for SU! colors is available on-line. Here's where I got mine and do recognize the huge amount of work that went into preparing it. Thanks Marie.

I look forward to creating more of these cards.

Scrapbook Layout - Garden

Three of us had a Scrapbook day last week. Good company, good food and good time. We had lots of room and I got 3 2-page layouts completed. Here's pics from my visit to the Leg Grounds and the memorial garden. The fountains, flowers and foliage are all covered. My favorite is the Lily of the Valley.