Balloon Birthday

While thinking about getting some fall cards made, I was looking through my stash of paper and came across this paper with candles. The result was a birthday card.

On a white card base, a panel of pink and a panel of black cardstock was adhered. On a smaller panel of white cardstock, a set of balloons were die cut and adhered along with a die cut sentiment and backed with black cardstock. Three colors of glitter paper were die cut and inlaid to finish the balloons. Glitter does not photo well, but they are quite bright and shiny!

In keeping with the sketch, three strips of ribbon were adhered across the patterned paper. The knots were purposely tied in an offset manner. The balloon panel was backed with foam tape and adhered over the ribbons. Three black gems were added. This was all adhered to the card base panels. The inside was decorated with three die cut balloon outlines.

The card is being submitted to:

1. Seize the Birthday
    (Option: "Tie One On")





2. Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #118






3. Just Us Girls #406









4. Paper Smooches July/August Challenge
    Theme: Anything Goes




Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black, Blushing Bride
Paper: Stampin' Up! birthday paper (retired); glitter paper
Dies: Paper Smooches Party Balloons & Birthday Words
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape); ribbon and black gems from stash

Happy Purr-thday

8/15/2017 Update: Crafter's Café Challenge Blog
Winner

This patterned paper is so cute that I decided to use the last scraps of it for a card that I'm making for a couple of challenges. The cats are graceful and sweet but I especially like the reverse side - fish skeletons! One of the challenges is to use a design with more than one fold. This fold is kind of unusual - it's a Diagonal Gate Fold and I found the tutorial HERE. It is an odd size but will fit easily into a standard A7 envelope. I used a clothespin to hold the card closed while taking the photos because it wanted to pop open.

Using the measurements provided in the tutorial, I added an extra layer of cardstock for the four triangular pieces and added a panel to the inside of the card. Once the basic card was assembled, I heat embossed the sentiments - inside and out - then added the circles. There are two on the inside of the card with die cut images and one circular ring on the front of the card as a brace for the black cat. The cats were both die cut and green glitter paper was used for their eyes. There is a die cut gray mouse below the pink cat's sentiment. I wish I had taken a better photo of it.

The card is being submitted to the following challenges:

1. The Crafter's Café #178
    (Use more than one fold)







2. Tic Tac Toe #010
    (middle row: emboss, fun fold, circles)







3. Happy Little Stampers August Challenge






4. Paper Smooches July/August Challenge
    (Anything Goes)




Techniques: Fun Fold, stamping, heat embossing, die cutting
Size: 5.5" x 5.75" (use an A7 envelope to avoid additional postage)

Materials
Stamps: MFT "Cool Cat"
Inks: Stazon Jet Black
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Smoky Slate, Blushing Bride
Paper: Glitter paper (green) from stash, MME Meow Kitten Party
Dies: Paper Smooches Cat Icons, Spellbinders Classic Circles
Misc.: Stampin' Up EP (clear)

Fruity Pineapple - CAS

8/13/2017: Weekly Favorite from the Gallery of Splitcoast Stampers for the 
week ending 8/13/2017.

Tropical fruit is so colorful and refreshing any season of the year but especially in summer. Whether in a drink or on a plate, it's nature's candy. I have a stencil of sliced citrus that I found somewhere and have never used until I saw a CAS challenge. Fun fact: Pineapples are considered a symbol of hospitality and are often found in quilts and folk art from our country's pioneers.

Using the stencil, Versamark ink was imprinted onto white cardstock then heat embossed with clear powder. Distress Oxide inks were sponged onto the embossed images and then the paper was buffed with a tissue to remove any excess ink. I also spritzed the inks with water to vary the color tones and then blotted with a tissue. I was very light-handed with the water because I am not using watercolor paper.

The front of the white card base was spattered with ink. I sketched a large pineapple image on a piece of scrap paper to use as a guide on the embossed cardstock. It was fussy cut & adhered to the card base. The sentiment was die cut from black cardstock and adhered. From the scrap embossed panel, I fussy cut some fruit to decorate the inside of the card. I can envision this card created in other ways but it was necessary to keep it CAS.

The card is being submitted to the following challenges:

1. Less Is More #340





2. Addicted to Stamps & More #254




3. Crafting from the Heart #171







4. Happy Little Stampers August Challenge

5. Dragonfly Journeys #98
    (Keen on Neon)



Techniques: CAS, stenciling, sponging, heat embossing, die cutting, fussy cutting, embossing resist
Size: A2

Materials
Inks: Versamark, Distress Oxide Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, Twisted Citron, Seedless Preserves, Fossilized Amber, Peacock Feathers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black
Die: Peachy Cheap
Misc.: Stencil from stash; Stampin' Up! EP (clear)

The Road Less Traveled... Masculine-CAS

I can always use masculine cards so these challenges are just right for that purpose. The hikers, hunters, fisherman, campers and happy wanderers in my family will enjoy receiving a card like this.

The front of the card base was dry embossed with a diagonal design, which was covered with a panel of patterned paper. (Smart move.) The next panel of wood grain paper was added at an angle. The final layer is a map pattern. It was backed with foam tape for dimension and adhered. Finally the sentiment was added. Along the way, various panel were sponged along the edges. The inside was decorated with a strip of patterned paper along one edge.

This card is being submitted to:

1. The Male Room #66









2. The Paper Players #356








Technique: CAS
Size: A2

Materials
Stamp: Sentiment computer generated
Ink: Stampin' Up! Soft Suede
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla
Pattern: Graphic 45 from stash
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape); TIEF (diagonal stripes)

Celebrate Your Day

08/14/2017 Update: Winner of the Diamond Award at the Color Dare Challenge #255!

Using dye inks, I decided to watercolor this fabulous image. The stamp set has been a favorite of mine since it was first released and I have not grown tired of it. I followed a sketch and used numerous colors as required by a color challenge. I really tried to keep it CAS in spite of the many colors.

The image was heat embossed with clear EP on Bristol paper, then watercolored using dye ink and an Aquapen. The card base was die cut to achieve the curve along the bottom edge. The sentiment was stamped directly onto the card base. The blue frame was die cut and adhered. The painted flower was die cut and adhered using foam tape. The inside of the card was stamped with a sentiment and decorated with a coordinating floral stamp.

Note: The Slate color was difficult to substitute because it's a gray-brown. I used a very soft Dove Gray by WPlus9 for the card base.

The card is being submitted to:

1. Color My Heart: Color Dare #255
(Black, White Daisy, Willow, Sapphire, Slate, Ruby with the option of Silver)





2. (CAS)E This Sketch #233





3. Watercooler Wednesday #131










4. Happy Little Stampers August Challenge




Techniques: Stamping, die cutting, heat embossing, watercoloring, CAS
Size: A2

Materials
Stamps: Altenew "Persian Motifs" & miscellaneous birthday stamps
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; CTMH Ruby; Stampin' Up! Cucumber Crush (sub for Willow)
Cardstock: WPlus9 Dove Gray (sub for slate), Bristol (white), Stampin' Up! Nearly Navy (Sapphire)
Dies: Cheery Lynn "Celtic Frame"; Lawn Fawn "Landscape"; Altenew "Persian Morifs"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape) & EP (clear)

Blueberry Birthday

Challenges offer such great inspiration and I was able to use some of my enormous stash of paper. I'm still learning about "less is more" and when "enough is enough" or "where to draw the line" on keeping cards from getting too wild and crazy. One the challenges asked for three patterned papers so here goes.

The various papers were cut and adhered to a panel of scrap cardstock. The sentiment was die cut twice and adhered shadow style. Instead of ribbon, I used "artistic license" to add two decorative strips of cardstock. The finished piece was backed with foam tape and popped up on a panel of white cardstock adhered to a blue card base. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of white and a decorative die cut strip was added. A load of Wink of Stella (clear) was added to the blueberries, the sentiment and the decorative strips.

The card is being submitted to the following challenges:

1. Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #224

2. Crafting from the Heart #171
    (Anything Goes)






3. Brown Sugar #262
    (Three patterned papers & a ribbon)





4. Happy Little Stampers August Challenge





Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Dapper Denim
Paper: Stampin' Up! stash (green) & Graphic 45 "Garden Fresh" (floral and red)
Dies: Peachy Cheap sentiment & Spellbinders "Embellish It"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Dimensionals foam tape & ZIG Wink of Stella (clear)

Congrats in Pink

8/09/2017 Update: Top Three Award winner at Atlantic Hearts Sketch

Challenge #223.

My card is the result of combining several challenge requirements. The pink background was created by clear embossing with flowers, then sponging with Oxide Distress ink and buffing with a tissue. The white vellum rectangle was die cut and adhered. The black ribbon was adhered and placed under the vellum. The floral silhouette was die cut. The die has two flowers but I removed one and adhered it to the inside of the card. The sentiment was die cut six times then stacked and adhered.

The panel was edged with strips of black cardstock and adhered to a white card base. Nuvo Glitter Drops were added to the front of the card and the inside. This is the first time using them - I need to practice making the dots.

This card is being submitted to the following challenges:

1. Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #223








2. Watercooler Wednesday #130








3. Tic Tac Toe #009
(Second row across: Silhouette, Distress Ink, Stacked Sentiment)









4. City Crafter #373
    (Pretty in Pink - neutrals permitted)







5. Crafty Creations #347
    (Anything Goes)



6. Happy Little Stampers August Challenge





Techniques: Stamping, Heat Embossing, Embossing Resist, Die Cutting
Size: A2

Materials
Stamps: WPlus9 "Amaryllis"
Inks: Versamark; Oxide Distress Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black
Paper: WRMK Party Pack Vellum
Dies: Poppy "Sweet Pea Flowers", Sizzix "Kind Words", Cheery Lynn "Celtic Rectangles"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! EP (clear), Nuvo Glitter Drops, black satin ribbon from sewing stash