A Quilt Inspired Card

This week I started thinking about using quilt block designs as a background for a card.  I did some looking around on the internet and found tutorials for a Quilted Card and a Bargello Technique (which I think looks like a quilt even though they say it's a needlepoint pattern) over at SplitCoast Stampers.  For this card I used the Quilted Card as my inspiration.  I changed my squares to 1" instead of the 3/4" squares used in the tutorial.  Also, if/when I do this again, a punch would be a better idea to make sure all my squares are exactly the same size.  This is a great way to use up those tiny scraps you've been keeping "just in case."

When I saw the Spring Blessings set at Deedee's Digis, I loved the Scripture verse because it was one of my Dad's favorites and I loved the butterfly/caterpillar sentiment. So, I decided to combine my quilt idea with this set and here's the result:

Here's a close-up of the details and then a pic of the interior.

I had the hardest time getting the words to be in focus.  I'm sorry if they're still blurry.  I'm going to try to retake the pics in natural light & will replace them if I get better results.

I am entering this card in this week's Stampin Sister's In Christ challenge #82 which is to include paper piecing in your main image and in the new Challenge #21 at Really Reasonable Ribbon which is to include die-cuts or punches and ribbon.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Strathmore Bristol, Recollections, Bazzill, Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper - BG (Lemonade)
Stamps - Deedee's Digis (Spring Blessings)
Embellishments - Ribbon (Hobby Lobby), BG Opaline half pearls, Recollections swirl, Nestabilities (petite ovals and petite scalloped ovals), Fiskar's border punch (Threading Water)

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp TV Sketch

I've enjoyed watching the videos over at StampTV for awhile now.  Recently they started having sketch & color challenge videos each week in addition to their technique videos.  This week I decided to play along with this week's sketch challenge (STVSKSP9)...have you guessed yet that I love sketch challenges?  :) Here's the card I entered for the challenge.

I used Ollie Owl on the outside of my card.  I received the Forest Branches embossing folder for Christmas and haven't had a chance to use it until now.  I just thought this owl and the branches were a perfect match for each other.  Jute just seems to go with the whole forest theme too. 

Supplies:
Cardstock - Paper Studio, Georgia Pacific, Recollections
Paper - AdornIt (Fern Collection)
Stamps - Sweet 'n Sassy (Owl Occasions & Ollie Owl)
Ink - Memento (Tuxedo Black)
Embellishments - Jute & button from my stash, Prismacolor pencils, Art Studio blender
Tools - Spellbinders Nestabilities (Petite Oval Large, Petite Scalloped Oval Large, Circles Large, Lacey Circles), Cuttlebug embossing folder (Forest Branches)

This card also qualifies for this week's challenge of "something new" at Stampin Sisters in Christ.  My paper and the embossing folder are new.  It's also the first time I've entered a challenge over at Stamp TV.  :)

It's a Boy!

The cards that seem to be the most challenging for me to make are masculine cards and baby cards.  I'm not quite sure why baby cards are so hard for me but they just seem to be.  We know several folks who are expecting a new little one in the next few months so I need to get some baby cards made so I can be ready.  I used the sketch from this weeks Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge (SSS91) for this baby card.  I'm also entering it in the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge (SSCC72) for this week to highlight something new.  This card is for a new baby and I used a new embossing folder.

I embossed a piece of patterned paper with my new herringbone Cuttlebug Embossing folder.  The paper was thin so embossing it made it soft...almost like a blanket.  :) 

I also decided to decorate the inside of the card so that I could use one of the other sentiments from the Baby Blessings set.

Supplies:
Card base - Bazzill
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific & Bazzill
Paper - Sandy Lion
Stamps - Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Stamps (Baby Buggy & Baby Blessings)
Embellishments - Misc button, Ribbon - Paper Mania, Prismacolor Pencils, Cuttlebug embossing folder (herringbone)

Thanks for stopping by. 

Happy Birthday - Cocoa Style

Today's birthday card qualifies for three challenges:

Crazy 4 Cocoa Challenge - C4CC7 - Something from the kitchen
Sweet Stop Sketch - SSS91 - Sketch with a twist (dry embossing)
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - SSCC#72 - Something New (new "Happy Birth Day" stamp)

I embossed my background paper with a D'vine Swirls cuttlebug folder and also embossed Cocoa's panel & the yellow panel with my nestabilities.  You can see the embossing better in the close-ups.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific (white) & Misc from stash (navy)
Patterned paper - Colorbok
Ink - Memento tuxedo black, Prismacolor Pencils
Stamps - Sweet 'n Sassy & Impression Obsession
Embellishments - Button & ribbon from stash, brad (Queen & Co), DMC floss
Tools - Cuttlebug embossing folder (D'vine Swirls), Spellbinders (Deckled Rectangles & Standard Circles Nestabilities)

A Valentine Tweet For You

I made my first Valentine for this year tonight.  I received the  Valentine Tweet digi stamp I used on my card for playing along with a challenge over on the Crafting with Deedee's Digis blog.  I decided it would be perfect to use on this week's challenge -- use pink & red.  I am also entering it in the challenge #71 at Stampin' Sisters in Christ (create a card or project that includes wings).

I outlined this chick's hat and the heart in her mouth with a glitter pen.  I thought she just need a little bit of sparkle.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Strathmore Bristol, Colorbok, Georgia Pacific, Recollections
Patterned paper - Colorbok
Stamp - Deedee's Digis (Valentine Tweet)
Embellishments - Ribbon (misc from stash), Prismacolor pencils, Sakura gelly roll pen (silver star)
Sketch - CPCST90

Isaiah 40:31 - Masculine Encouragement Card

I wanted to make a card for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #67.  This week's challenge is to make a congratulation or encouragement card.

I find making masculine cards a bit more challenging than feminine ones.  However, I needed a masculine encouragement card this week so I used the sketch from The Sweet Stop SSS84 and some papers from Bo Bunny's Olivia line and came up with this one.

I stamped my verse with Memento tuxedo black ink on cream colored cardstock.  I cut it out & embossed it with a Nestabilities deckled rectangle die.  Before I removed the die, inked the edges and partially into the center with creamy brown fluid chalk.

I couldn't find a chipboard button in my stash the right size.  So, I used my 1" circle punch to punch several circles from scraps of kraft cardstock.  I also punch one circle from my stiped paper.  I ran all of them thru my xyron and stacked them on top of each other to make my "button." I inked the edges of my button (& the rest of my papers) with the same creamy brown fluid chalk.  I used my crop-a-dile to punch the holes in my button and tied hemp thru it.  I elevated my matted verse on pop-dots.

Supplies:
PP - Bo Bunny (Olivia)
CS - Recollections
Ink - Memento (tuxedo black), Color Box Fluid Chalk (creamy brown)
Stamp - Sweet 'n Sassy (Jesus Cares)
Hemp twine - Hobby Lobby
Tools - Cuttlebug, Nestabilities deckled rectangle die, crop-a-dile, Marvy punch

CPS193 & SSIC65

I made this card for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ John 3:30 (He must increase, I must decrease) Challenge.  Here's the challenge from the blog:


Challenge: You have three choices this week: 1. Make a CAS (clean and simple) card (representing "you" needing to decrease); or 2. Make a "More is More" card, (representing that He must INCREASE); or 3. Show us a simple version of a card and then show us the "More is More" version.

I chose option #2.It is 6 x 6, has layers, inking, rub-ons, ribbon, bling, etc., etc.  :)  For me, More is More comes much easier than CAS.

I also used this week's sketch from CPS for the design. 

I found this tutorial on SCS that I used to make my decorative edged circle in the background of my card. You definitely need to stick to 20# paper when using this technique.  This paper is obviously more like 24# and it almost didn't work.  With a little encouragement from my scissors I was able to make the last layers cut thru.  Then I used Labels 4 for the sentiment block & the mat for it.  The sentiment was stamped with VersaMark & then embossed in black.

Supplies:
CS - Bazzill, Georgia Pacific
PP - Bo Bunny (Olivia) and the cream paper is misc from my stash
Ink - Colorbox Fluid Chalk (creamy brown), Versa Mark, Stampendous EP (black)
Stamp - Stampendous
Embellishments - Ribbon-Offray; Rub-ons & Bling - BG
Tools - Cuttlebug embossing folder (D'Vine Swirls), Nestabilities (Labels 4), EK Success Corner Rounder
Challenges: SSIC65, CPS 193

Owl's Hello Card - SSCC57

Our daughter likes owls and this paper from Paper Studio is a hit with her.  We were sending her a care package this week so I made her a simple card to include with it.  It also qualifies for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #57 -- Use fall colors.  I tried a new technique I'd read about somewhere (sorry, can't remember where) to use a piercing tool to punch holes in your paper and then "connect-the-dots" with your pen to make the faux stitching look more realistic.  It's pretty realistic because it's crooked just like my real sewing.  :)  There's a lot more I could have done to make this more fancy but I was going for quick & easy since my time was short.

Supplies:  
CS - Recollections, Georgia Pacific
PP - Paper Studio
Ribbon - Offray
Marker - Stampin' Up
Stamp - Studio G
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Showers of Blessing - SSCC56

This card is for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #56.  The challenge is to use stitching (real or faux).  As usual, I chose the faux option.  :)

I used prismacolor pencils for the image and used a prismacolor coloring stick to make the "rain" on the solid yellow background.  I also used some stickles for the rain.  The second picture shows that a little better. And yes, I do realize my coloring skills need some work.  That's the very reason most of my cards are sentiment only cards.  *smile*

I also decorated the interior of the card.  I really like this digi stamp set from Sweet 'n Sassy stamps and didn't want to leave anything out.

Supplies:
CS - Georgia Pacific & The Paper Company
PP - BG
Spellbinders Nestabilities:  Petite Ovals Large, Petite Scalloped Ovals Large, Large Deckled Rectangle, Decorative Photo Corners, Labels Four
Let It Rain - digi stamp set - Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Zig Ball Writer
Prismacolor pencils
Ribbon - Offray
Robin's Nest Dew Drops
Stickles - Waterfall
Sketch:  CPS183

Owl Valentine

This is the valentine I made for my husband using the easel design from this tutorial at SCS. It qualified for challenges at Our Daily Bread (ODB) and Stampin' Sisters in Christ (SSCC). For the ODB challenge it had to have a heart somewhere on the card. For the SSCC challenge it had to have two things used to make one card...my heart has two layers, each of my two patterned papers is double-sided, my words are double matted, I have two types of sparkle (stickles on SWAK and a glitter pen for the owl's "mascara"), and I used two different stamps from two different companies.




Supplies:
CS - SU & DCWV
PP - MME - 29th Street Market
Stamps - Sweet n Sassy (owl) & Stuio G (SWAK)
Computer Font - CK Andecdote
Kimberly watercolor pencils
Brads - MM
Stickles
Pens - Uniball Signo (white), Creative Memories (black) & SU (close to cocoa), GellyRoll (clear star - "mascara" on the owl)
Fiskar's Threading Water Punch
Cricut - George Cartridge (heart)

Frogetful Sam

Stampin' Sisters in Christ has a weekly challenge. This week's is to make a card that has a childish theme or child on the card but cannot be a baby card. I recently purchased several stamp sets from Sweet & Sassy Stamps and Sam was the perfect choice for this card. {Be sure to stop by Sweet & Sassy Stamps because all their clear acrylic stamps are now 50% off!} I chose a sketch from Blogabella for my card.


Supplies: Studio 8 Paper Company - Dinosaur Land Collection; Cardstock - Georgia Pacific; Ink - Clearsnap; Brads - MM; Pens: Zig Marker - Navy; Uni-ball Signo White; Kimberly watercolor pencils; Ribbon - Michael's

SSCC18

I truly haven't dropped off the face of the earth. ;) My father-in-law passed away the day after Christmas, our daughter had some medical tests and went back to college, and we've been trying to get back into the "normal" {what is that anyway?} routine.

Here are a couple cards I made at Christmas time that I haven't had a chance to show you yet. I used a sketch from Stampin' Sisters in Christ (SSCC18) for both of these cards.


Supplies: BG Eskimo Kisses papers & Woolies, Dew Drops, Stamp - Studio G, Bazzill card bases, ColorBox pigment ink, Stampendous Clear embossing powder, Stickles

My Favorite Stamp

Here's a card for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge to make a thinking of you/praying for you card for a friend.

I used my favorite stamp {again} to make a Thinking of You card for a friend that recently had surgery. As I've mentioned before, I love this stamp because the sentiment fits so many circumstances. A friend at work requests cards with it as sympathy cards. It also works for Get Well, Going-thru-a-rough-time cards, or just an everyday Thinking of You.


Supplies: Patterned paper: BG, Cardstock: SU, Stamp: Stampendous, Punch: Fiskars, Ribbon: JoAnn's, Stickles, Ink: Stampabilities