Usually, I set out to make a card with a fairly clear picture in my mind of what I'm going to do. Not that the finished product always turns out according to plan. :P Occasionally, though, I'll start out just with the stamps I want to use, and see where they take me. That was the case with this card.
I really like this bird from the October 2011 Kit of the Month, "Faith, Hope, Love... Live By It". I got him in a Friends with Flair goody bag, along with several others from the kit, including the sentiment and leaves that I just by chance decided to use as well. They were obviously meant to be together. I stamped, embossed, sponged and cut out the bird and leaves. Then I spent a lot of time figuring out what the background would be, finally deciding on these two patterned papers. I love how the little strip of map paper just happens to say "adore" along the bottom, just from the way I cut it. And yes, I underlined "fly" with one of the leaves on purpose. ;) Altogether a smidge artier than my average card, and I like it!
Today is Friday (yay!) and that means this card is off to play along with Unity Friends with Flair. It's also going into Simon Says Stamp's latest "Anything Goes" challenge, as well as Moxie Fab World's Assymetry challenge. Just being inspired by the sentiment I used. ☺
Supplies: Stampin' Up kraft & bravo burgundy (I think) cardstock, Stampin' Up newsprint & Gartner Studios bon voyage-world map patterned paper, Unity October 2011 Kit of the Month "Faith, Hope, Love... Live By It" stamps, vintage photo, antique linen, peeled paint & bundled sage distress inks, clear embossing powder
Pin It Now!
There are HOURS to go in the Hero Arts August contest! So here's one more, slightly last-minute entry.
I've had this stamped panel of Starbursts sitting on my cutting mat for quite a while, while I've pondered different ways to use it. At the same time, in another remote corner of my brain, I've been thinking that it's time to start stockpiling Christmas cards for the future festive season. Eventually, the two parts of my brain communicated and this card was born. I'm liking the retro-funky look a lot!
Besides the Hero Arts contest, I'm also going to enter this in Moxie Fab World's gallon/quart/pint contest... this card has a gallon of red (just the way I like it), a quart of milk white, and a pint of silver. And of course I'll add this to Simon Says Stamp's anything goes challenge. ;)
Supplies: white & Stampin' Up real red cardstock, silver pearl paper, Hero Arts starbursts & get merry! stamps, Stampin' Up real red & Colorbox frost white inks, white embossing powder, Recollections silver rhinestones
Pin It Now!
To me, this is the quintessential summer scene:
The new challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges today is to create a summer scene on your card or other paper-crafted project. Growing up near Georgian Bay meant many summer days spent on the water. So for me, this IS summer. You can't see from the photo, but through some fortuitous alchemy, the combination of black ink, clear embossing powder and Twinkling H2Os gives the trees a perfect greenish tinge when the light strikes them the right way. I made this for a friend who recently discovered he has cancer. I thought the serenity of the image struck the right tone. I'm linking this card up to the latest CASology challenge -- the cue word is "relax".
My second card is a less literal interpretation, but I think still makes a summery scene. Being out in the garden (or among the container plants on the deck!) is also a big part of summer for me. That little butterfly was punched from some random flyer, and just happened to work perfectly with the blue chalk ink of the watering can and tools. I'm going to link this card to Moxie Fab World's movement challenge, because I like the way the eye moves along the different elements of this card. (As usual, I'm sure it's the 'innovative' part of the challenge that will do me in. :P)
Our generous sponsor this week at Crafty Creations Challenges is Whimsy Stamps. I'm just glad it's a challenge that lets me hang on to summer a bit longer! Why not link up your summer scene?
P.S. We're introducing some terrific new design team members today! Come check out their beautiful creations!
Supplies: (shore scene) white & blue cardstock, watercolour paper, Stampscapes lakeside cove stamp, Versafine onyx black ink, clear embossing powder, Twinkling H2Os, watercolour paint; (garden friends) white & red cardstock, Papertrey Ink Garden Variety stamps, Versamagic Aegean blue, red magic & Spanish olive chalk inks, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Marvy Uchida corner-rounding punch
Pin It Now!
Time to play along with Unity's Friends with Flair! It seems that I need a TON of birthday cards in August. Here's one I made for my grandson's birthday... that just happens to be today!
I love this cute little trio of "who"lagins. I think the stamp must be retired now, as I can't find it on the Unity site, but I was lucky enough to receive it in a pack of goodies that I won last year for participating in Friends with Flair. (Edited to add: I found it! I had the spelling wrong. Find it here.) They are popped up on blue cardstock that I stamped with Versamark using bubble wrap to add a bit of interest. The sentiment is computer-generated, with the HOOT! paper-pieced.
There is always inspiration to be found in the Friends with Flair entries, so check it out!
Supplies: white, blue & Stampin' Up very vanilla cardstock, My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose Hattie patterned paper, Unity 3 Whooligans stamp, Versamark & vintage photo distress ink, clear embossing powder, Prismacolor pencils, black Enamel Accents, pop-dot tape
Pin It Now!
(Cardmaking Apprentices Part I is here.)
In my completely unbiased, totally objective opinion, my granddaughter is a very talented cardmaker! :) See what I mean...
This is the card she made for her great-grandmother's 90th birthday. Knowing her G-G loves flowers, she picked this Studio G one to ink up. One of her favourite techniques is to ink stamps in more than one colour, so of course all the stems were green, while the blooms came in pink, purple and blue. We found a couple of fun patterned clouds in my stash of die cuts. The sun peeking out from behind the cloud? I had neglected to bring any punches with me, so she improvised with a yellow "O" letter sticker! The "grass" is some Basic Grey paper doily ribbon, which we both think is very cool.
I'm entering this card into Simon Says Stamp's Children's Summer Holiday challenge. A chance at a few more supplies is never a bad thing! ;)
Pin It Now!
I think it's terrific that Simon Says Stamp is offering a challenge just for kids. Especially since there are TWO apprentice cardmakers in the family! I have yet to convince my husb to make me one :P, but both my grandchildren love making cards for special occasions. And what could be more special than their great-grandma's (my mother-in-law's) 90th birthday? First up is a card my seven-year-old (eight tomorrow!) grandson made:
Their G-G enjoys feeding the backyard squirrels, so it was easy to choose the squirrel from Stampin' Up's Animal Crackers set. He chose not to ink the "I'm nuts about you" sentiment. He borrowed his sister's Prismacolor pencils to color the image. Next a "tree" from the SU set Cheep Talk. (It was the only tree-like stamp I had brought with me.) Then we looked through my stash of die cuts and found this Lil' Inker Designs acorn. A little green cardstock through a crimper, some pop-dot tape on the squirrel, and he had a terrific card.
Next up, my granddaughter's card!
Pin It Now!
