Raiding my Stash for Eyelets!

Thank goodness it's Friday!  It sure has been a busy week at my house, and even though we also have a busy weekend ahead, I always look forward to having my husband around for "extra hands on deck" with the kids!! I think we all have a bit of Spring Fever at my house now that the snow has melted and it's starting to warm up, and "ornery" seems to describe my little ones quite well this week!

I have a quick card to share with you today.  I never seem to have enough "get well" cards in my stash, so I have been trying to make a few of those to have on hand when I need them. This week I saw two challenges asking us to use eyelets.  I don't use eyelets often anymore, but I sure have a nice stash of them!  I decided to make a Clean and Simple (CAS) get well card using eyelets.  I still set mine the old-fashioned way (no fancy setter for me), so this was a great excuse to raid my husband's toolbox and hammer away my frustrations!

Here's my card:

I used one of my favorite two-sided Authentique papers to create the background and flowers.  I die cut the flowers and added red flower-shaped eyelets to the centers.  I distressed the petals with Antique Linen Distress Ink, then rolled the edges of the flowers to add dimension.  I stamped the sentiment directly on the background paper by first inking the stamp with Versamark and then inking with Memento Rich Cocoa.  I attached the panel to a Natural White card base, then added three pearls to highlight the sentiment.  I adhered the centers of the flowers to the background paper and added Glossy Accents over the eyelets to add some shine.  Quick and easy!

I am linking this card to the following challenges: 

• Free for All challenge F4A159 (use eyelets) at Splitcoast Stampers
• "Anything Goes" ABC19 challenge at 'ABC' Challenges
• "Addicted to CAS" at Addicted to Stamps and More
• "The Eyes Have It" CCEE1310 at CCEE Stampers

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

Products Used:

Stamp: Verve

Paper: Lovely Collection: Crush (Authentique); Classic Crest Natural White card stock (Neenah)

Ink: Versamark and Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko); Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)

Tools and Accessories: Flower die (Provo Craft); red flower eyelets (unknown); pearls (KaiserCraft); 

Glossy Accents (Ranger)

Valentine's Day Card for My Husband

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you're having a fun, relaxing day with the ones you love.  This is just a quick post to show you the Valentine's Day card I made for my husband:

I wanted something masculine but still romantic, so I avoided hearts and lace and stuck with basic ribbon and brads.  I "roughed up" the pretty paper with some distressing, so hopefully this is manly enough for my big bear of a husband (who's really more "teddy bear" than "growly bear", but don't tell him I shared that secret!).  I waited to post this until after I gave it to him, thinking it would be a surprise.  He opened it and said, "I figured this one was for me."  That's when I realized it had been sitting in plain sight after I took pictures for the blog.  Oops!  But at least I know he pays attention to what I'm crafting!

I started with a natural white (almost ivory) card stock base.  Then I used two-sided paper from Authentique: one side I stamped on for the card front, and the other side is the dotted panel, which I heavily distressed to darken the dots and mute the red a bit.  For the larger piece, I used a script stamp and Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  To get the softer effect, I stamped off first on a piece of scrap paper, then stamped on my card piece.  I used a Nestabilities die to cut my scalloped piece.  I stamped my sentiment in Rich Cocoa on another piece of natural white, then added more distressing with Tea Dye and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.  I attached the sentiment piece to the scalloped piece and added the brads.  I wrapped a piece of brown ribbon around the dotted piece, then adhered the scalloped piece over the ribbon using foam dimensionals.

Thanks for taking the time to visit me on Valentine's Day! 

Products Used:

Stamps: Old Letter Writing (Hero Arts); Be My Valentine (Hambo Stamps)

Paper: Authentique Collection: Lovely (used "Greetings" and "Crush" 2-sided paper); Classic Natural White 80 lb. card stock (Neenah)

Ink: Tea Dye and Walnut Stain Distress Inks (Tim Holtz/Ranger); Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)

Tools and Accessories: Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Rectangles Small (Spellbinders); ribbon (Celebrate It Basic-Basic); brads (Recollections); dimensional  tape (Scotch)

A Little CASE, A Little CAS

Happy Monday!  We are having a bit of a "heat wave" where I live, and we're supposed to see temperatures in the mid-70's today.  That is AMAZING for January in the Midwest!  I was almost ready to break out the shorts and t-shirts until then I saw that we'll dip back into the 20's and 30's for lows over the next couple of days.  It may not be time to pack my winter coat just yet!  But today we have lots of sunshine and beautiful weather, so it's not a bad way to start the week at all!

This week's Featured Stamper at Splitcoast Stampers is a crafter whose blog I have been following for awhile now, so I was excited by the challenge to CASE (Copy and Share Everything) one of her darling cards.  She makes the most amazing Clean and Simple (CAS) cards.  With this challenge, we pick a project from her gallery to CASE by changing at least two elements to create a new card.  

Here is a link to the card I chose to CASE: No Shoes

And here is my card: 

I kept the card's design and CAS style.  I changed the image and die cuts, and I used a stamped layer in place of her embossed layer.  

I started by stamping the coffee cup image twice on a piece of Natural White card stock using Rich Cocoa ink.  I fussy cut the entire cup from one image and the center circle only from the second image.  The image doesn't include a band on the card, so I created a band from kraft card stock and pieced it onto the cup.  I adhered the center circle over the band using foam tape to give it some dimension.  I die cut and embossed a layer from dark brown card stock and adhered the coffee cup to it.

I stamped the coffee beans on a piece of Natural White card stock, adhered it to a slightly wider piece of dark brown card stock and attached the panel to a Natural White card base.  I adhered the coffee cup layers, once again using foam tape.  I stamped the sentiment directly on the card base to complete the front of my card.

I'm working on several cards this week and plan to get them posted over the next few days, so I hope you'll visit again soon.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Products Used:
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)

Stamp (cup image): My Cuppa Joe (Gina K. Designs)

Stamp (coffee beans): Espress Yourself (Stampin' Up!) 

Stamp (sentiment): Warm Cup of Coffee (Stampabilities)

Paper: Classic Crest Natural White 80 lb. (Neenah); brown and kraft card stock (unknown)

Tools and Accessories: Nestabilities Labels Eighteen (Spellbinders); Big Shot (Sizzix)

Flowers After the Rain

Happy Monday!  I had a whirlwind weekend of turkey, family and shopping and now it's time to settle back in to reality for the next few weeks.  I really love holiday weekends, though.  I get spoiled having my husband home to help me with the kids and sometimes I even get to sleep in a bit...pure heaven!

I created today's card for the current CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge.  This challenge is for Clean and Simple cards (little or no embellishments and lots of open space).  You can read more about this challenge HERE. 

Here is the sketch:

  

And here is my card:

I started with a brown card stock base and a piece of Natural White card stock (Natural White is a vanilla shade).  I stamped my flower stems with Ancient Page Pine, then added the flower heads with Memento Rhubarb Stalk.  I wanted my sentiment to have a slightly darker hue than my stems, so I inked the stamp first with Memento Rich Cocoa, then inked over that with Ancient Page Pine to create a subtle difference.  I also inked the edges of the panel with Memento Rich Cocoa to bring out the brown shade in the sentiment.  I have a really tough time lining up sentiments sometimes, so I used a stamp positioner.  That tool is worth its weight in gold!

I wanted to use a piece of very light gold card stock behind my stamped panel but I didn't have one that was long enough (this piece came from a grab bag and it is just lovely in person).  I ran it through my Big Shot in the Swiss Dots folder, then cut it in the middle and adhered it to my card base with a gap to make it "stretch" to the necessary length.  I covered up the gap by adhering my stamped piece over it with Stampin' Dimensionals. 

I stayed fairly true to the sketch with a couple of exceptions.  The sketch uses a horizontal panel behind the stamped piece, but I felt the height of my flowers called for a vertical panel instead.  I also switched the sentiment and image to opposite sides to accommodate my flowers.  This sketch is a really versatile one that I plan to use again!

I hope to finish another card this evening that I will share with you soon, but for now I'm off to check the Cyber Monday specials and try to finish up my Christmas shopping!  Thanks for stopping by!

Products Used:

Stamps: Field Flowers, Brighter Tomorrow (Stampin' Up!)

Paper: Classic Crest Natural White card stock (Neenah); brown card stock, gold card stock (unknown)

Ink: Ancient Page Pine (Clearsnap); Memento Rhubarb Stalk, Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)

Tools/Accessories: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug); Big Shot (Sizzix);

Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); stamp positioner



Thanks a Bunch!

I finally had a chance to spend some time in my craft room and boy, is my craft table a mess!  Looks like I will be doing some reorganizing this weekend.  Doesn't that sound like fun?!

I want to give a shout-out and thanks to my followers.  Some of you have just started following my blog, and I thank each of you for taking the time to follow and visit!

After a busy week without much creative time, I really wanted to get back to challenges.  I combined this week's Ways to Use It challenge at Splitcoast Stampers (make a "thank you" card) with this week's sketch challenge at Operation Write Home.  Here's the sketch:

I love the simplicity of this sketch!  I chose to make a few small additions but tried to stick closely to the measurements provided.  Here's my card:

(I apologize for the shadows on this card, particularly the one around the sentiment panel.  The shadow and the brown card stock really blend together and it's hard to tell where the paper ends and the shadow begins.  I didn't notice it until I had already deleted my other pictures...ugh!)

I really struggle with matching patterned papers, so I was pleased as punch to find this two-sided paper in my stash!  I used the flowery side for the larger panel and used the lighter side for the smaller piece.  I made a card base with Chocolate Chip card stock and added some brown and white baker's twine to tie it all together.  I stamped my sentiment in Rich Cocoa on Crumb Cake, used watercolor crayons and a slightly wet brush to color the image, then layered that piece with Chocolate Chip.  I had planned to simply attach the sentiment panel to the middle of the long strip, but I made an error as I was adhering my layers and tore the flowery paper slightly.  Thankfully there's usually a way to hide errors like this, and it often involves adding more layers or moving elements around.  I moved the sentiment panel to the left side of the card to cover my mistake and adhered it with dimensionals.  I knew I'd need some sort of embellishment on the right side to balance it all out, so I decided to fussy-cut two of the flowers from the leftover patterned paper (I am not a fan of fussy-cutting, so I did not come to this decision easily!).  After cutting out the flowers, I added a small white brad to the middle of each and attached them to the card with mini glue dots.  To add a little dimension, I lightly rolled the ends of the flowers so they would stand off the paper a bit.

This is a simple and quick card that could be used for many occasions just by changing the sentiment.  I am sure I will be using this sketch again!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Products Used:

 

Stamp: Thanks a Bunch (Unity)

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)

Paper: Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake card stock (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (unknown)

Accessories and Tools: Watercolor crayons (Staedtler); white mini brads, brown and white baker's twine

Ready for Snow!

Happy November!   This month I'm spending some of my time working on winter and Valentine's cards to donate to Operation Write Home.  Today's project is a snowman card using OWH Sketch #144 and this week's Ways to Use It Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers, which challenges us to make a card using anything except Autumn colors (no red, orange or yellow). 

Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:

This card's colors are off-white, brown and blue to match the colors in the patterned paper (I could not get the colors to photograph well today without the picture becoming too dark).  To create this card, I started by embossing the front of an Ultrasmooth Vanilla card base with a snowburst embossing folder.  (Ultrasmooth Vanilla is no longer available, but it's comparable to Very Vanilla.)  I cut a strip of the patterned paper and mounted it on brown card stock.  I cut a panel of Ultrasmooth Vanilla, stamped it with my sentiment in Memento Rich Cocoa (I just love this color) and mounted it on brown card stock.  I die cut a snowflake in Ultrasmooth Vanilla and sponged it with Bordering Blue to match the blue in the patterned paper.  I added some pearls to the snowflake and attached it to the sentiment panel, then adhered the panels to the card base.  Because I'd weakened the card front with my embossing, I added a liner on the upper portion of the inside to balance the weight of the layers.  This extra blank space inside also allows the sender to write a longer message.

Now that I've finished this winter card, it's time to get outside and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather we're having this week.  Thanks for stopping by! 

Products Used:

 

Stamp: Thanks Snow Much (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko); Bordering Blue (Stampin' Up!)

Paper: Ultrasmooth Vanilla card stock (Stampin' Up!);

snowmen patterned paper (The Paper Studio); brown card stock (unknown)

Tools and Accessories: Big Shot (Sizzix); Snowflake #23 (Sizzix);
Textured Impressions Snowburst (Sizzix for Stampin' Up!);  Pearls (KaiserCraft)