Card - Grad Cap

I made this card for someone at work.  We know someone who attended her convocation recently.

I chose the university colors - red,black and gold.  I started with a red card. Then cut a piece of gold card stock and embossed it with the Cuttlebug Typeset embossing folder.  I layered that to a piece of black card stock.  I added a gold splattered strip over the join on the right hand side.  I created a gradation cap with a piece of black, layered with gold, layered again with black.  I added a bit of texture on the small black with my score pal.  I created a tassel with gold thread.  It is held in place with a large black brad.  The cap is adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Card - Pond Hockey

Here's another Earth Day card re-using cancelled postage stamps.  We all some of these hanging around.  This one is from the 50th National Hockey League® All-Star Game published in the year 2000.
I found a pond hockey photo on-line which is the classic idea of scrapping the snow off a pond and creating a skating rink.  I wanted a little bit of red to off set the stamp so I put a red maple leaf in the left bottom corner. I printed it on vellum and let it dry. I trimmed the vellum and put it on a pale blue card which matches the background on the stamp.  It is held in place by 4 tiny black brads in all four corners.  I then adhered the stamp to a piece of card stock to give it a bit of stiffness and then stuck that to the vellum in the top right hand corner. After the golds in hockey at the Olympics this is a great card to honors those medals.

How To: Serendipity Paper with Paper Strips

This is a great way to use scraps of designer paper and make paper you can you in card making, scrap booking, mixed media projects.

Collect a bunch of scraps of designer paper. I chose similar colored pieces but just think about the result. Red, green and gold for Christmas. Easter paper with yellow, purple and green.  You get the idea. I cut my paper down to .75" strips.  Start by laying out the strips and making sure the same colored pieces are not too close together and your joins between strips are not too close. Once you are happy with your lay out start gluing the strips down.  I started in the top left hand corner and glued strips on the diagonal.  Let your strips fall off the edges of the card stock.  Once all well glued, press until good and dry.  Turn the paper over and you will see the jagged edges.  Trim the paper strips to edge of the card stock. Use as you will.  I made these cards with mine.

This is a great scrap buster technique.

Card Club - Feb - Bee and Flower

This card is quite simple.  I cut the Sizzix Tim Holtz Cameo frame from warm mottled green background card stock.  I added it to a warm deep yellow card. I then layered a large yellow silk flower then an orange one then a medium yellow with a small orange one. I layered the large one onto the card to align the hole made with a push pin.
I placed the small to the largest on the large yellow brad and then put the brad through the hole.  Pressed apart the prongs of the brad on the inside of the card.  The bees were buttons but I used a pair of sharp cutting pliers to remove the shank then a utility knife to smooth down the back.  I then adhered it to the card front with a Zot.  I added a dotted flight path with a black marker.  I made some kits with purple so I will post one of those after the class.

Card Club - Feb - Thanks

This card features a small piece of Serendipity Paper which is a paper technique which I've known about for a long time and my sister uses often. I find it a bit unstructured for me, but then I found Maryanne's post which was just what I wanted. Check a bit later for all the details.

The serendipity paper was trimmed to 3.5"x 2.75" and then layered onto white card stock. I embossed it with the Cuttlebug Birds and Swirls embossing folder. I trapped the left hand ends of the white grosgrain ribbon under the serendipity rectangle when I glued it down.  I taped the right hand ends to the inside of the card.

The greetings were printed a long time ago when I was trying to use up left over ink in the tricolor ink cartridge once one of the colors ran out.  I now have a separate ink tanks in my printer. I punched them with the Stampin Up Decorative Label punch.  Then it was adhered to the card front with 3D tape placed on the right hand side of the label so that it did not add additional thickness over the serendipity.  Notice that I rubbed the embossing with a brown ink pad which I think helped the look of the card.  I may have to do the blue one too!!  Live and learn right.

Card Club - Feb - Dragonfly Trio

This card was made with the Sizzix Framelits Die Set 10PK - Card, Triple Square Flip-its.  I chose double sided designer paper.  I chose to highlight the red and cut squares to put in each of the flips.  I punched white dragonflies and adhered in each of the red squares.  I then cut white squares for the back of the trio flips and neutral layers for the back of the card to allow the person giving to have a place to write their sentiments.  That meant 12 pieces for each card.  Needless to say that was a lot of work. I ended up finding a square on my Cricut Cartridges - Wrap it Up  which I allowed me to cut the white back side squares way quicker.

 I made several color options with this card which added to the time needed to make those selections.
I wished I had single square flip-it. Lesson learned.

Card Club - Feb - Baby Onesie

I'm trying to add in a few cards for those other occasions into card club as requested by the ladies. Baby cards being one such occasion.
I cut the onesie with the Cricut and the Wrap It Up cartridge.  I chalked the edges a bit to add some dimension.  I adhered the small flower sequins to the front with Zots for Bling which are very small.  Worked great. I matched the onesie to the card colored then added a soft colored DP to the card front. Once adhered I added a white picot edge satin ribbon across the bottom third of the card and taped the ends to the inside of the card. The greetings I included were congratulations or Welcome Baby!. They were colored printed to match the card color and punched with the Stampin Up Modern Label punch. I added the onesie with and the greeting to the card front with 3D foam tape.  I made some green, yellow, and purple which will work all the time.

SU Sale a Bration - Book Party

I had a book party for the Stampin Up Sale a Bration promotion going on right now.

I made this card for a make and take for the girls in the office.  I used the Petals and Paisley DSP.  For this card I used an Old Olive card.  I cut a SU Top Note in the DSP which is So Saffron and Whisper White floral.  I cut an smooth oval in So Saffron in the one step larger then the color printed central element with the smaller smooth oval with my Spellbinder Nestabilities but SU sells the OVALS COLLECTION FRAMELITS DIES.  The flower is a SU digital stamp from the PUNCH BUNCH STAMP BRUSH SET. I printed the flowers in So Saffron and Old Olive for the stems. The top note is adhered to the card front then the 2 ovals are adhered together layered one on top of the other.  This element is then adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.  The back of the card was stamped with the SU credit stamp.

This DSP has Tempting Turquoise card with Regal Rose flowers and layer so I will post another sample after the party. Done!!  Thank you cards next!  Think about having a party!!!

Card - Challenge - Jar

I made this card for one of my on-line groups.  The challenge was to use a jar on the card.

I searched on-line and found this jar at Sweetly Scrapped.  I printed it on vellum and fussy cut around the image.  I printed the daisies from Graphics Fairy on yellow DP.  I then dug out the chalks I haven't used in a while and applied some to the back of the jar, the flowers and stems, and the background of the image. I mounted the flowers onto a blue card with french script from Graphics Fairy too as the background.  I added some thin twine around the neck of the jar. It needed something else, so I added a thin black border on the yellow done by hand.

SU - Get Well Soon

I made this card for a friend who is recovering from surgery.
I used Stampin Up products on this card. I started with a Tempting Turquoise card.  I stamped it with Itty Bitty backgrounds in turquoise. I cut a Top Note from Petals and Paisleys.  I added a length of Old Olive grosgrain ribbon along the pink edge and taped the ends to the back.  I added 3 turquoise handmade paper flowers held in place with white tiny brads. The top note was then adhered to the card front.  I stamped the sentiment from the Sincere Salutations in Old Olive and punched it out with the Decorative Label punch.  I punched another label in pink and cut it half and layered them behind the white one. This is mounted to the top note with 3D foam tape.

Card - Yellow Orange Grey Challenge

This card works for the challenge at Daring Card Makers for February - Yellow, Orange and Grey.

I layered large yellow, orange flowers then a medium yellow silk flower then a small orange with a large yellow brad.  I mounted this onto a label die cut in grey which was cut with the Tim Holtz Cameo Frame.  This was then layered onto a warm yellow card.  I then added a cute bee 3D element held in place with a Zot.  I added a flight path for the bee with a black marker.

Card - Clean and Simple Challenge

I made this card for Clean and Simple Challenge 279.

I started with an ivory card.  I colored a digital background I created a while ago with Stampin Up! Regal Rose then printed it on the front of the card.  I tied a narrow organza ribbon that coordinated well with the color around the card front and knotted on the left hand side.  I cut scallop borders with the Die-Namics die.  I did not cut them as deep as the die and then placed them along the top and bottom edges of the card. I printed a greeting in the same color and cut a flag end on the left side.  Rubbed a bit of ink on the edges and mounted to the card front  on the right hand side with 3D foam tape.

Photo - Street Scene Challenge

This is a selection of my photos I'm submitting to the Donna's Personal Photo Challenge this month which is Street Scenes.  These were all taken with my Canon G11 Point and Shoot.  I took the first one of a bright flower box through the arm of a street bench.  The music trio wall art was a great image.  A Starbucks on the corner just like many other streets in many other cities.

Just a Note to a Friend

I made this card for a friend who needs a bit of support and cheering up at this time.

I selected a warm green card.  I color printed a Stampin Up! flower from the Punch Bunch - flower for you. It's a digi stamp so I removed the scallop and the greeting leaving only the flowers.  I colored it blue and cut it out with Spellbinders Nestabilities - Smooth Ovals. I added a deeper blue oval behind it cut with the next size oval.  I added a deep green ribbon across the bottom third of the card with the ends taped to the inside.  Stamped a butterfly and the sentiment in dark blue.

Exchange Card - Turquoise Flowers

I printed the Stampin Up! flower from the Punch Bunch - flower for you. It's a digi stamp so I removed the scallop and the greeting leaving only the flowers.  I colored them turquoise and cut them out with Spellbinders Nestabilities - Smooth Ovals. I cut the larger oval from Kiwi Kiss card stock.  I cut the polka dot background with the Tim Holtz Cameo Frame.  I mounted the designer paper frame onto a turquoise card.  I added a piece of velvety green zigzag ribbon across the whole card.  The left hand end is pulled through a slit in the fold and taped to the inside.  The right is wrapped around the edge and taped.  I glue the flower oval to the green oval.  This was then mounted to the card front over the green ribbon with 3D foam tape.

These are headed to a couple girls on my card exchange group.

Challenge - Non Traditional Valentines

I made this card for a non traditional Valentine challenge.  I chose a deep brown card.  I embossed a ivory piece of card stock with the Sizzix Christmas Words & Dots Set by Hero Arts.  I selected a shiny thread which I wrapped around the ivory piece and tied into the button.  I cut the hearts with the Sizzix Tipsy Hearts die - one in brown like the card and one in pearl white.  The brown is embossed with Cuttlebug Script folder and the pearl with the Sizzix Tropical Paisley folder.  The background was adhered to the card then I mounted the hearts with 3D foam tape.  I adhered the button with a Zot.

Card - Wax Crayon Paper Flowers

Here's the card I made with my wax crayon paper from yesterday.

I cut the paper with the Sizzix Flower Layers #10 Bigz die.  I printed my nature poem onto white in blue.  I added the stem and flowers I designed over the script background.  This layer was color printed and trimmed to leave a small border.  I mounted it onto a medium blue card.  I placed my blue wax paper flower to work with the stem.  I added a white then a yellow silk flower and held all the flowers to the card front with a small white brad.  I made a hole for the brad with a push pin. I'm really happy with the way the card turned out.

I may have to use this idea for card club!!!  Great idea for earth day crafts.

How To: Wax Crayon Paper

I'm thinking about Earth Day (April 22 2014) ideas already.  I have been collecting wax crayons given away at restaurants when children are at the table.  This happens regularly for me so I decided to recycle/reuse them rather than them being thrown in the garbage.  There are some great ideas out there. Being a card maker I wanted something I could use in my regular projects. I did some research and here's my process.

1) Cover your work space with a couple of layers of scrap paper.
2) Strip the paper from the crayons.
3) Use a pencil sharpener to create wax shavings
4) Lay your shavings on wax paper in whatever manner you want.  Mixing the colors will create colors like orange, green, and purple.
5) Cover your shavings with another piece of wax paper.
6) Add a couple of layers scrap paper.
7) Heat with an iron designated for crafts on medium setting.
8) Lift scrap paper to reveal your wax crayon paper.

Next time I will use more wax crayon.  Trying to align yellow in the center for flowers was not worth it. Check tomorrow to see what I made with my paper.

Photo - Get Outside!

Here`s a photo I took today after accepting a challenge from Claire to get outside! 
I have been more of a couch potato than I should be recently with the problems that brings.  I took a walk today and took this picture of our river valley.  It was -8C but the wind was pretty strong which made the temperature pretty brutal.  I was out at least half an hour so that was very good.  I`m glad I went.  Thanks, Claire for the challenge and I`ve posted my pic.
I liked the little bare tree in the middle of all the evergreens.

Christmas Card Challenge - Feb - Christmas Animals

This month's challenge is Christmas Animals.  Reindeer, cardinal, polar bear, penguin, dove, camels, sheep, partridge, geese, deer, and chickadees would all qualify.  Which one will you choose? Leave me a comment.

I chose a cardinal.  I bought the stickers after Christmas knowing I had this challenge coming up.  I cut a piece of light green card stock with Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Thirteen onto which I applied the cardinal sticker. I cut the next size up in dark brown card stock which matched the card color.  I cut a Fancy Pants Designs - Christmas Magic - Bough of Holly paper leaving a border all the way around and adhered it to the card front.  I colored printed my greeting on the same light green card stock, flagged the ends and applied a red ink pad to the edges.  Both of these elements are adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

There were 2 smaller stickers in the set and I changed the layout a bit accommodate them. I cut a smaller label in black and mounted the bird on that.  Then a layer of Kiwi Kiss and then a layer of ivory.  It was too stark so I applied some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Antique Linen to tone it down just a bit.  I found some designer paper that I have used before which worked well.  I punched a Stampin Up! Modern Label punchie in black and found SU Word Window greetings which worked well.  I chose a black card to coordinate with the layer that the cardinal is on onto which I adhered the designer background paper. Again both elements are mounted onto the card front with 3D foam tape.

I've submitted this card to Hazel's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes