Another Mother's Day Card - Iris Flower

Hello! I have another Mother's Day card to share. I know it's a bit late, but I'm getting it up here, nonetheless. 

I started with some pretty lavender polka-dotted paper I've had for eons and did my usual texturizing to it using the Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes embossing folder. Then I mounted it on black cardstock. I kept the card fairly simple otherwise.

I used the gatefold technique, which is one of my favorite card styles. I nipped all the corners with a corner punch, except for the center backs, which I cut out in half circles with a 1/2" circle punch.

You can't see it, but I used a black Velcro self-adhesive circle to help keep the card closed. I usually glue the Velcro halves on the cardstock even though the Velcro adhesive is very strong. That way it won't come loose or rip the cardstock after it has been opened a few times. I usually put both halves together on one side (usually behind the main decorative element), gluing the parts that touch the cardstock with Tombow Mono Multi glue, and then close the card and leave it overnight to dry. 

I added a bit of  black gingham ribbon inside to jazz it up a bit, and I did use a sentiment inside, but I hadn't added it yet when I took the pics. I seem to be doing that a lot lately for some reason.

I stamped the iris image from The Angel Company (long since retired) in Memento Tuxedo Black on white cardstock and colored with Copics. I added some lavender, yellow, and lime green Stickles glitter gels here and there.

I mounted the outside saying with foam tape. What would I do without my foam tape, I wonder?

I hope you enjoyed this card. Thanks for coming by!

Stamps: Iris from The Angel Company, saying from Hero Arts

CS: Black, lavender (interior), lavender polka dot (exterior), White

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (saying), Copics for coloring

Other: Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes, Nestabilities Lacey Ovals and Classic Ovals Small, black gingham ribbon, corner punch, 1/2" circle punch, foam tape, black Velcro self-adhesive circles, lavender, yellow, and lime green Stickles glitter gel, Tombow Mono Multi glue

My Mom's Mother's Day Card

Good morning! It's a beautiful sunny day here in Georgia. Sunny days just make all the difference, don't they? While I'm sitting here typing this I'm enjoying the birds at my bird feeders, watching them busily flitting about. It's so therapeutic.

I wanted to honor my mother this year with a homemade card. Some years I buy her a card, some years I make one. 

I was seeing a number of cards I liked on Pinterest that were using an old Stampin' Up! set called Garden Collage, so I bought it on eBay. I rarely buy stamps these days, but I bought this set because I thought I would get a lot of use out of it. It really is a pretty set.

Per my usual, I wanted lots of texture on my card. I just think it adds so much visual interest. For the designer papers I went with Basic Grey Wisteria. I used the Cuttlebug Traffic Jam embossing folder. But before embossing the lower piece I stamped the sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black ink using the Purple Onion Designs Girls Are Weird small alpha font set. I wasn't totally happy with that part, but oh, well. One "p" is a bit over-stamped, and a couple others are under-stamped. I didn't have another piece of that paper, so I let it be. I added some pearl bling on one corner and used some ribbon to blend the papers together.

I stamped the main image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink since I was going to color it with Copics. Then after coloring it I dry-embossed it with the Cuttlebug Mesh folder. I made an extra butterfly to add dimension, and used foam tape to pop it out. I used some Orange Peel Stickles glitter gel on the flower center to add more oomph to the look. I mounted it on some black cardstock that was cut using the Nestabilities Blossom die.

Inside the card I carried the theme of the green polka-dotted paper and the Traffic Jam embossing folder. I used another image from Garden Collage and colored it similarly to the outside image. The sentiment is from Penny Black's Bubbly stamp set. I blinged a bit with the pearls inside, as well.

I'm happy to say she loved it. That makes me happy. Take care.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Garden Collage, Purple Onion Designs Girls Are Weird small alpha, Penny Black Bubbly

CS: SU Eggplant Envy, Papertrey Ink white, Black, Basic Grey Wisteria designer papers

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black, Copic markers

Other: Cuttlebug Traffic Jam and Mesh embossing folders. Nestabilities Blossom and Standard Circle Small dies, foam tape, pearl gems, Stickles Orange Peel glitter gel, black zigzag ribbon

Under the Bonnet Masculine Birthday Card MM#558

Hello there! Happy Saturday!

My grown son's birthday is coming up soon and he loves to work on cars. When he was a teenager he would buy an old car, fix it up and make it pretty. Then he'd sell it and buy another one. The driveway looked like a used car lot at times! Now he's married with a child and finds he has less free time to tinker. But he really does enjoy it when he can.

I wanted to use a stamp that was car-related that I hadn't already used before, and I found the cutest digital stamp by Lili of the Valley called Under the Bonnet. I found the shop on Etsy and I love their stamps! So adorable! This stamp fit perfectly for the theme I was going for. 

And I just noticed that all throughout May they are running a 50% off sale! Oh my! That's dangerous! 

I also needed some serious stamping mojo. So I went with Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #558. Her sketches always motivate me. 

(Btw, everything on this card except the digital stamp is likely retired by now. I don't buy much new these days. Part of my attempt at being more "minimalish".) 

I chose some Basic Grey Cupcake designer papers from my stash, and an olive green background for the cardstock. I stamped on the olive green edges with a Stampin' Up! Making Tracks wheel. Although you can't really tell, it's the image of tire tracks. 😜

To oomph up the car I used large silver eyelets for the body of the headlights, and I put small clear gems behind them to mimic real glass lamps. I also used tiny clear gems for the lowlights.

You can kind of see the shine I put on the red part of the car and the window. I used Inkssentials clear Glossy Accents for that.

I made the designer cardstock pop by using the Cuttlebug Spots and Dots embossing folder for the biggest piece and the Tiny Bubbles folder for the middle-sized piece.

All coloring was done with Copic markers. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed this card I made for my son, and I thank you for coming by for a visit! Take care!

P.S. I redid the original pics because I had forgotten to put the sentiment on the card. 

Stamp: Lili of the Valley digital stamp "Under the Bonnet", Stampin' Up! Making Tracks wheel (for background edges), Savvy Stamps Happy Birthday image

CS: olive green cardstock by Papertrey Ink , Basic Grey Cupcake designer paper, Black

Inks: Copic markers, VersaMark clear embossing ink

Other: Cuttlebug Spots and Dots and Tiny Bubbles embossing folders, Nestabilities Large Pinking Circles, and Standard Circles Large, corner punch, small oval punch, medium oval punch, paper piecing tool, foam tape, large silver eyelets, tiny clear gems for behind eyelet headlights and lowlights, Inkssentials Glossy Accents clear dimensional medium to add shine to car

Christmas Cards in April?

Well, hello there! It's been awhile since I've posted here. I've made numerous cards since my last post in 2019 (!!), and will try to post them all here in the near future, even though I may be the only one looking at them at this point! 😏

These cards are the ones I made for my family for Christmas 2020. I made, I think, about 8 of these. 

I had run out of the lime green cardstock midway, so some were done in red. Thankfully, I didn't run out of the red!

I've done this card style before. But this time I went a bit more elaborate by making my own "snow" out of white embossing powder, glitter and clear Glossy Accents. I just mixed them up as I went. Because I didn't have a lot of white embossing powder on hand, I couldn't cover everything I wanted to with my "snow". But what I did cover turned out pretty good. 

I also did a lot with glitter gels. I used Stickles to accent many of the pieces. 

Stamping, coloring and cutting out all the little pieces was very gratifying, although I did get a bit weary of it toward the end. 

And here's what things tend to look like when I'm creating.

I used one of my favorite old Cuttlebug embossing folders, D'Vine Swirls, to create the snow effect. I have more than gotten my money's worth from that thing!  And I stamped all the snowflakes on the red and green backgrounds with white pigment ink using a stamp from my old Stampin' Up! Flaky Friends set.

I colored everything with Copic markers. And here they are, once again, finished and ready to give away.

I wish my background cardstock would've been long enough to make one more bend at the back. It would've held the gingerbread house more upright. But alas, I did not have the 12"x12" kind, just the normal size.

I realize that no one is really interested in Christmas cards in April, but I am posting it while the urge hits, so I guess it's Christmas in April on my blog. Sorry about that.

I hope you have a lovely day, and thank you for coming by for a visit. Please let me know if you've stopped by so I can know you were here. Take care.

Stamps: Taylored Expressions Season's Sweetings, Taylored Expressions Home Sweet Home, SU Flaky Friends

CS: All cardstock is from Papertrey Ink.

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Colorbox Frost White pigment ink, Copics

Other: Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls embossing folder, paper piercing tool, foam tape, Stickles glitter gels, white embossing powder, white glitter, Inkssentials Glossy Accents clear dimensional medium, Paper Shapers small and large oval punches

Patriotic Invitation

Just a simple invitation I made for my daughter's AHG Stars & Stripes Award Ceremony. She colored the flag image on each one. I think she did a lovely job. Please excuse the imperfect parts of the card that I did. These were done in a bit of a hurry.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Canvas, God Bless America by Our Daily Bread Designs, saying printed off computer

CS: SU Night of Navy, Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy, Papertrey Ink Stamper's Select White

Inks: Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black, black printer ink

Other: Park Lane Star and Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folders, Nestabilities Large Pinking Circles die, Nestabilities Classic Circles Small die, Copic markers, red & white ribbon, foam tape

Masculine Birthday Card

I made this card for one of my grandsons who turned 19 recently. I really need to increase my collection of masculine stamps, not to mention, birthday sayings! I keep reusing them and it's kind of embarrassing!

But one thing I didn't reuse for the umpteenth time is the Tim Holtz Steampunk embossing folder. Why I don't use it more, I don't know.

I feel like so much of what I use is obsolete now. So many stampers with blogs work for stamp companies, so they're always getting new stuff. I imagine new stuff is a lot more interesting than old stuff, but I refuse to go into debt just to always be using "the latest thing". And I have no interest in being a salesman for stamp companies. This is a hobby after all. For pleasure only, in my case.

Regardless of how old and obsolete my stuff is (Basic Grey paper, anyone?), it's all still useful to me. So even if I'm only posting obsolete stuff here and talking to myself because I fell out of the stamping loop, so be it. I do like having a place to say what I want about each card I make.

I used some of the new Papertrey Ink cardstock I bought to prop up my poor old cardstock collection. When I took all of my stamping stuff out of storage, I realized that cardstock does not do well with temperature fluctuations. The Papertrey Ink cardstock is pretty decent, but it's easily damaged, despite being pretty thick. I'm hoping to find an even better quality paper in the future.

The color I used was Scarlett Jewel. It reminds me of the old Stampin' Up! color, Cranberry Crisp. In fact, I used some Cranberry Crisp ink on the Happy Birthday background with the old SU! background stamp, Canvas.

I had not pulled out my SU! Artifacts set in a long time and figured it was a good masculine set to work with. I only used the clock image, but I like how it turned out. Makes me think of a Tim Holtz design and kind of mimics the cog shapes in the embossing folder. The designer paper came from the Basic Grey Recess 6x6 pad.

I used the SU! Spiral punch along the edge of the decorator paper for extra interest. And I still keep trying to use brads and eyelets despite my inability to set them in a straight line. I just used some black brads along the bottom of the main piece to oomph it up a bit more.

The Happy Birthday saying is from CTMH's Spunky Greetings. The "19" was from Purple Onion Design's Girls Are Weird numerals.

Well, that's it! Take care.

Stamps: SU! Canvas, SU! Artifacts, CTMH Spunky Greetings, Purple Onion Designs Girls Are Weird numerals

CS: Black, Papertrey Ink Scarlett Jewel, Basic Grey Recess designer paper, White

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Cranberry Crisp

Other: Tim Holtz Steampunk embossing folder, SU! Spiral punch, Black hemp twine, Foam tape, Black mini brads

Father's Day Card for My Hubby

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

My hubby is a wonderful dad and husband. He has raised 5 children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and that is the theme of this card: Thanking him for encouraging our children in the right direction, avoiding the wrong directions (and they are many), and encouraging the right path that pleases God. And I used CTMH's set Road Signs to do it.

I found a really cool card design via Pinterest which was very easy to make. I basically made the card to fit into a 6"x6" envelope, and cut it as I would normally. Then I cut it across the front part where I wanted the upper part of the opening to start. Then I took the piece I cut off, lined it up at the bottom, marked where I wanted to cut it, and trimmed it to fit up to where I wanted it to stop. The main image piece will hold the bottom piece to the top piece. 

I stamped all the black images using Memento Tuxedo Black ink with my homemade stamp positioner for clear stamps. It worked so well to ink up those solid images thoroughly. I also used it for the red background on the stop sign, which is not actually red, but clear Versamark ink. 

I had purchased some Park Lane embossing folders at JoAnn's recently (their new line, I think) and thought that the Chevron pattern would go well with the other images on the card since it looked "arrowish". The embossed image was not terribly deeply etched, but that can be a good thing, especially on designer paper which usually tears when using the Cuttlebug folders. The Chevron folder is one of the bigger folders.

I used an image from ye olde Stampin' Up! Seaside Sketches. The dad and son image works so well for Father's Day. I colored it with Copics and popped it out to add some pizazz. And I popped the whole piece out when adhering it to the top and bottom parts of the card.

Inside the card I added mini-brads to line up along the bottom of the open space. As usual, I did not do a great job of lining them up. Who cares? I had planned to put a saying in the empty space, but nothing I had fit. So that should be your #1 decision before making this card design. As it was, I left it blank and stamped Happy Father's Day inside. No biggie.

Well, that is all. Thanks for looking! Take care.

Stamps: CTMH Road Signs, Stampin' Up! Seaside Sketches, Hero Arts C1401 Happy Father's Day

CS: Black, Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy, Papertrey Ink Stamper's Select White

Inks: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, various Copic markers

Other: Park Lane Chevron embossing folder, Nestabilities Labels Two, Antique mini-brads, foam tape

Mini Bird Crazy Masculine Birthday Card

This card is nothing like I had envisioned it to be. Have you ever had that happen? 

When I started making it, I had completely different colors and papers in mind. But I ruined them both with bad cuts and general mishaps and had to go with Plan B since I did not have anymore of either. Drat! 

Thankfully, I have pads and pads of masculine paper from Basic Grey. Did Basic Grey stop selling papers? I went to their website and only saw fabric! Wah!! It was one of the best designer paper companies out there with such limitless variety. I'm sad that they won't be making their wonderful papers anymore. It's insane when you do something so well and then you stop and go into something else (fabrics). Can't they do both?

Despite the issues with papers, this bird was definitely part of the plan. He's from Tim Holtz's set Mini Bird Crazy & Things and I love him! My 3rd daughter gave me this set for my birthday this year, and I made her a card with it; and now I've made this one for my son-in-law. Both are funny, nutty people who can appreciate the goofy bird characters in this set. In fact, I made this little guy even goofier by giving him googly eyes. Anytime I can add googly eyes, I'm happy! 

You can see all the layers below on the center piece. I love popping things out. It just jazzes up a card exponentially. What you can't see is my poorly-set eyelets. I'm sorry, but my Crop-O-Dile is just failing me. I have got to find a better way. It is hard to see where to punch the holes for the eyelets, and it is hard to set eyelets that are a harder metal, like these. Nothing I've done recently when trying to set eyelets with that thing has come out well. Maybe it's my eyelets?

I was fairly minimal inside the card because I was short on time and just needed to get it done. Otherwise, I would've filled all 3 panels up with something. One thing you can't see is that I added a black velcro dot on the outside to hold the card closed. I was in a hurry by the time I got this done, and just got bare minimum pictures taken.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed your visit, and please let me know you've come by with a comment. Take care!

Stamps: SU! Birthday Greetings, Mini Bird Crazy & Things

CS: Papertrey Ink Terracotta Tile, Basic Grey Obscure, Basic Grey Recess, Papertrey Ink Stamper's Select White

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black

Copics: B24, B41, B45, B95, R14, YR24, W3

Other: Nestabilities Standard Circle Large, Large Classic Inverted Scalloped Circles, Standard Circle Small, Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes & Spots and Dots embossing folders, Sizzix Mini Bird Crazy & Things Framelit dies, Paper piercer Sponge mat, Silver eyelets, Crop-O-Dile, Googly eyes, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Foam tape

Card Style: Gatefold

Blingy Monochromatic Birthday

I loved making that monochromatic card so much that I made another one! This time I also added red bling. I gave this one to my daughter who happens to be the mother of my granddaughter (the recipient of the other monochromatic card). So we're keeping it in the family. :)

I stamped several of the retired SU! Doodle This stamps on white cardstock using my favorite go-to black ink, Memento Tuxedo Black. It doesn't smear when used with Copics. I colored it using warm grays and then ran it through the Cuttlebug with the Script embossing folder. 

And then there's the bling! Blingety-bling-bling, I went nuts, didn't I? I just had to put something on all of that monochromishness, so I raided my gem collection to see if I could bring it up a notch. At first, I just did the clear gems. But it just needed something more. So I threw some red gems in and added some red organdy ribbon, and that seemed like just enough.

I used a piece of white cardstock only on half of the inside, and did a cut-out, popped-out piece on the other half since the ribbon would kind of be in the way. I think it works pretty well. I stamped and colored the inside image the same as on the outside and blinged it up, too. The inside saying is from Fiskar's Make a Wish Quotes.

I liked how these clear gems kind of went "outside the box" and spilled into the black base. I dunno, I'm weird.

So there you go! I have one more card to show you and then I need to get busy on my Father's Day cards and I need to make a baby quilt for my 5th grandbaby, due next month!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamps: SU! Doodle This, SU! Elegant Greetings, Fiskars Make a Wish Quotes

CS: Black, Papertrey Ink Stamper's Select White

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Copics: W1, W3, W5, W7

Other: Nestabilities Standard Circle Large, Classic Scalloped Circle Small, Cuttlebug Script & D'Vine Swirls embossing folders, Red organdy ribbon, Clear and red gems, Foam tape, Paper piercer, Piercing mat

To Someone Special

This card was made for my granddaughter who recently had a birthday. I love this image. It's another Pure Innocence digital stamp. It's so sweet, and it's so much fun to color. I seem to be drawn to them lately.

For this one, I went monochrome.....just because. I actually found it quite satisfying to limit myself on colors. I had done a card that way in the past. 

I loved playing with my old Stampin' Up! Botanicals set on the gray designer paper and inside the card. I hadn't pulled it out in a long time. It's a classic that will never age. The images look so beautiful stamped.

On the inside, I went simple. Just a piece of the Basic Grey Granola paper with some paper piercing around the edges. The bee is also from Botanicals. The "Happy Birthday" image is from SU Birthday Greetings. It fits in so well with the Botanicals set, don't you think?

I took this pic so you could see the shine on the wings. Maybe I should've added glitter, too? I dunno.

And I gave her some princessy slippers by adding a gem to each. 

Well, thanks for looking! Take care!

Stamps: Pure Innocence PI049, SU Botanicals, SU Birthday Greetings

CS: Black, Papertrey Ink Stamper's Select White, Basic Grey Granola designer papers

Inks: Copic W1, W3, W5, W7; Memento Tuxedo Black

Other: Nestabilities Curved Rectangles, SU corner punch, SU 1/2" circle punch, clear gems, Inkssentials Glossy Accents (on wings), paper piercer, foam tape