Photo - Vacation Pics

Here's a few shots from my summer. I was up early one morning and took this great sunrise with the pine tree in silhouette, Queen Anne lace against a dark sky (we nearly got wet), a swan on Lake Ontario with a great reflection, the Canada Flag in late evening, a punched tin lantern at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough and the dew on the car as we were leaving at 6:30 am for a day of photo taking (now that the life of a photographer). We were trying to avoid the heat of the day and the harshness of the midday light.

I spent time with my sister and we took lots of pictures, make lots of cards, chatted and walked most days. It was very good!

Card - CST Challenge #16 - Summer Inspired

Sunflowers are my favorite and a great summer flower. I started with a photo of a sunflower I took at Muttart Conservatory on Friday. I printed it and cut it out with my Nestabilities circles, then cut a yellow circle a bit larger and then a corresponding circle scallop in brown. I placed this central element on a ginger colored card. I found some fiber in my bucket which matched. I have notched both sides of the card edges to accommodate the chunky fiber tied around the front of the card. I add a sentiment stamped on a SU word window punchie in Chocolate Chip ink. Held in place with a bit of adhesive and a tiny copper brad. I added the copper butterfly cut with my Spellbinder die. I added a bit of dark brown to the body. Rubbed my ink pad along the edges of the card.

Card - CST Challenge #15 - SSS Sketch

I made this card for the CST challenge based on this sketch. I started with another photo of a lily from my Mom's garden. It's got this really nice dark purple edge which makes it look exquisite. I printed the lily and cut into an oval. I mounted it onto a coordinate plum textured cardstock rectangle. I chose an cream card to match the center of the lily to which I added a couple lines of embossing on the top half using a border folder. I stamped the greeting in Orchid. I added a moss green satin ribbon. I glued the plum rectangle on an angle. Found a silk flower for the top left corner and bling for the bottom right hand corner.

New Blog Header - Tiger Lily

I took some pictures while I was on vacation. I really liked this Tiger Lily one so I chose it for my new blog header. I'm getting the header to look more like I want. It's taking a while.

Card - CST Challenge #14 - Sympathy Card

I created this card for this week's challenge - Sympathy card. I had just taken several photos a couple of days before and thought they would make nice sympathy cards and here's the challenge. I cropped the photo into an oval shape and printed it on heavy white paper. I cut it out and glued it to white cardstock which I trimmed with scallop scissors. I stamped the Stampendous sentiment with Always Artichoke ink on same color card. I glued the oval just above it and added a white satin ribbon bow on the right hand side through a slit in the fold.

Card - Bird Cage

I used some mellow yellow cardstock and stamped a background with Ancient Page Sienna ink using some swirls and dotted stamps. I rubbed the edge of the card with the sienna pad. I cut a Tim Holtz bird card die cut in a sienna cardstock and chalked it would dark brown. I used a black marker to define the ring at the top. I distressed some green crochet cotton with the sienna ink pad. I cut the bird from dark brown cardstock and added a eye and beak in black marker. I glued him with his beak coming through the bars and his wing stick out. I added a Sizzix leafy branch in always artichoke and glued it to the cage. Punched some ivory flowers that were chalked with brown, orange and yellow. I pressed the edges of the flowers in the dark brown inkpad to add some contrast to the edges against the yellow card. Two were glued to the card/cage and the center one was mounted with 3d foam tape. I made 2 of these cards for my exchange group.

Card - CST Challenge #13 - Large Sentiment

I made this card for the weekly challenge on CST. The challenge was to make the sentiment the main element on the card. I stamped a Stampin Up! greeting "Warm Wishes" on white and watercolored it in fall colors. I cut it out with Nestabilities scallop circle thin die. I cut a scalloped circle the next size up in brown. I embossed a tan layer with a leaf embossing folder which I ripped on the bottom. It was layered onto a brown rectangle which I ripped on the bottom too. I chose a warm orange card. I glued the brown, the tan, the 2 scallop circles then I added a small tag on which I had stamped the word FALL and added several small leaves with a tan brad.

Card - CST Challenge #12 - Fav Coloring Technique

I created this card for the CST challenge. My favorite technique is watercoloring so I selected this peony and use a watercolor palette and paintbrush. I painted the whole flower in a light layer of color. Adding a second layer of a bit darker color in the shaded areas adds depth to the flowers. I layered it onto a coordinating pink cardstock then onto a green card. I added a stamped "Happy Birthday " greeting in green.

Cmas Card Challenge - August - Christmas Glitters

I found this POW glitter paper at a local scrapbook store. It is gorgeous! Unfortunately, scanning does not do justice to it. The paper is plastic backed with created a bit of a challenge for the Sizzlet die.
I bought the polka dot paper at the same time because they worked together well. I found a dusty blue cardstock for the card. I created a gate-fold card with the split in the middle. I trimmed the designer paper to fit both sides of the card fronts. Then, I selected a taupe cardstock to cut the scalloped circle with my Nestabilities Classic die. The brown layer is cut with the coordinating Nestabilities circle dies. The word "Peace" was cut with a Sizzlet border die, recently discontinued by Stampin Up! I used a snail tape runner to apply glue to the back of the die-cut because it is very shiny. I wanted a touch of blue repeated so I use a Martha Stewart snowflake punch to add it.
I made 5 of these so bring my total to 72 cards.