Enjoy the Moment

This card was selected as a favorite for the Featured Stamper of the Week.

Update 4/29/2015: This card placed in the "Top Three" at the AHSC #104!

This card was made for Atlantic Hearts Sketch #104 as soon as the Triple Stamp design was published.



I printed a poem about rainbows that I found on the Internet using a large bold font on white cardstock (Rainbows Are Lovely by P. Kubicki). I cut three pieces of the text and three pieces of black cardstock using a die. I then used the triple stamping/coloring method to add the rainbow to the three pieces of text by using a homemade template for the stripes and sponging each color.

I adhered each text piece to its corresponding black piece and then the entire unit onto a black card base. The center piece was popped up with foam tape. Clouds and sky were added to the white background by sponging on the edge of a die. In addition to blue, yellow and orange were added to mimic stormy sky.

I also used a die to cut a cloud from white cardstock. I sponged the edges with blue, cut it into two pieces and popped them up with foam tape. For the inside I sponged the six colors of the rainbow on the right edge of the card. The sentiment was stamped, colored with markers, backed with a black die cut then popped up with foam tape.

Click here to view the inspiration for my card.

 

Techniques: Die cutting, stamping, sponging, coloring

 

Follow the link to the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog to join the challenge!

Recipe:

Stamp: TPC Studio (Playful Expressions)

Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black

Inks: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green, Marina Mist, Elegant Eggplant, Soft Sky, Stazon Black

Markers (non-alcohol): Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green, Marina Mist, Elegant Eggplant

Dies: Mama Elephant Edges, Memory Box Marshmallow Clouds, Spellbinders Labels Twenty & Ribbon Threader Label

Other: 3M foam tape
Size: A7 (5" x 7")

The Open Sea

April 22, 2015 Update: This card was a Top Three winner!

Spending much of my childhood living near water on the east coast, my siblings and I were all taught by our father to sail. We would hurry home from church on Sundays so we could enjoy the afternoon on our little sailboat. I cannot imagine the skill required to sail a full-rigged ship! 

This is my submission for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #103.

 

The card is layered with a torn piece of a map that was stamped with grunge splatter, distressed and sponged to look worn. The map is mounted on a piece of cardstock embossed with wood grain. I also inserted a strip of foiled cardstock under the right side of the wood grain panel The porthole was cut from a hexagon die using foiled paper, brads were added then it was distressed with Stazon black ink to look aged. The porthole also has an acetate window sheet and is slightly popped up with the view of the ship in the background.

The ship was stamped on white cardstock. The water was added with a DTP technique touched up with white gel pen to look like foamy waves. The sky was sponged using the edge of a scallop die to create clouds. The birds were hand drawn.

The anchor was stamped on foiled paper and fussy cut then distressed with Stazon black ink. After tying the hemp to the anchor it was popped up with foam tape. The sentiment was heat embossed in silver and the banners were gently curled with a bone folder and popped up with foam tape.

The inside of the card has a piece of white cardstock for a personal note and an anchor stamped on the edge.

Be sure to visit the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog to view the design team's inspiring cards and the other challenge submissions!

Techniques: Stamping, color blending, sponging, distressing, dry embossing, heat embossing, fussy-cutting, die cutting, DTP (direct to paper)

Recipe: Products are Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: The Open Sea, Gorgeous Grunge, Painted Petals (sentiment)
Cardstock: Baked Brown Sugar, Whisper White, Night of Navy, DCWV foiled cardstock stack (silver)
Other paper: Acetate window sheet, map
Ink: Pacific Point, Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake, Soft Sky, Stazon (black), Versamark
Markers: Basic Black, Uniball Signo Gel Pen (white)
Die: Spellbinders hexagon set
Other: True Hemp by Hemptique, Recollections embossing powder (silver), brads from stash, wood grain embossing folder, 3M foam tape
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Sweet Peach

May 3, 2015 UPDATE: This card was chosen as a Favorite of the Week at Splitcoast Stampers. For tens of thousands of ideas, visit their website HERE.

April 15, 2015 UPDATE: The Sweet Peach card qualified for the "Top Three" at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2!

The Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 Challenge #50 is still open so I decided to use a downloaded image called "Pretty Peach" from A Day for Daisies and submit a card.



I printed the image twice, once on yellow cardstock and once on white cardstock. I applied color to the peach printed on yellow cardstock and fussy-cut the image. I then applied color to the leaves and stem printed on white cardstock and fussy-cut the image. The images were then heat embossed with clear embossing powder because I like the soft glow that clear embossing gives. I also rolled the leaves a bit to give them some dimension

Once I decided on cardstock and paper, I cut the piece from the hexagon paper on the diagonal so the hexagons would not be aligned straight - I wanted them to look more "scrambled." I proceeded to assemble the card on a base of yellow cardstock. The hemp was twisted together, wrapped and tied on one of the layers and the layers were adhered to the card base. The layer that holds the peach was popped up on a rectangle of Fun Foam. The green paper was stamped with "Sweet." The peach and leaves were then adhered to the card and popped up again using foam tape.

Techniques: Stamping, color blending, sponging, heat embossing, fussy cutting
Visit A Day for Daisies to find delightful digital stamps and be sure to stop by the Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 challenge.

Recipe:
Stamp: A Day for Daisies Digital "Pretty Peach," SU! "You Are Loved"
Inks: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Pistachio Pudding
Markers (non-alcohol): Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Cajun Craze, Crisp Cantaloupe
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Pumpkin Pie, Pistachio Pudding, Barely Banana (retired)
DSP: Birthday Bash Collection, Confetti Celebration Collection
Other: True Hemp by Hemptique (green, orange), Ranger embossing powder (clear), Fun Foam, 3M foam tape
Size: 5.5" x 5.5"

Early Cards

Here are a few cards I made when I was first starting this hobby. These first three were made at Stampin' Up! workshops.

Clean and Simple

 

Heat Embossing Technique

(This is truly an under-whelming card.)

 

Pretty Paper - CAS



This next one was made from a 6x6 paper stack I found on clearance at a local store. I liked the paper but was merely experimenting with it. I've never actually used the stack. I may need to get that stack and look at it again. I don't usually use commercially made flowers because I like to keep a low profile for mailing. I bought an assorted pack of these primitive flowers and used the gold one on the card.



And the final card today was made using a Stampin' Up cloud embossing folder and Memory Box dies I had recently acquired. The clouds were dry embossed as far as the horizon and the blue sky sponged. I die cut the tree from brown cardstock and then again from variegated green paper. I adhered pieces of the green paper to the brown cardstock for the leaves. I also dry embossed the tree trunk with a wood grain embossing folder to add a bark-like texture. The fence was die cut from a scrap of distressed paper. The lawn was sponged. I fussy cut and hand printed the sign and attached it to the tree with a brad. The die cut grass strip in front could use a little sponging with some darker green.



Card Stash

Miscellaneous Cards

Orange Poppies:
(And orange is not one of my favorite colors...)

Edgy Floral:
(Note the sewing machine stitching on the green strip.)

Thinking of You:
(Patchwork with a zigzag stitch.)

Think Happy Thoughts:
(Using the Flashcards 2.0 technique from Connie Stewart.)

 

Wish Big:

(Used four Spellbinders' dies to complete this simple card.)

 

Window Card:

(Look through the window to see the sentiment inside.)

 

Celebrate!

(This card was CASE'd and I love it!)

 

It's far too lovely a day to stay indoors. Here in the Arizona desert it's warm and windy and the air is fragrant with blooms. My photos were taken outdoors under the shade of a Rosewood tree so the dappled sunshine and shadow is visible on some of the cards.

Sometimes when I need a card for an occasion I have to scurry to my workspace to make one but I always hope to find an appropriate one in my stash. The card may only need a sentiment added along with the personal note. I've been reorganizing my small workspace and thought I would post a few cards from the stash shoebox. It's more fun to take photos and post from my laptop while outdoors than it is to reorganize and clean my tiny cramped space!

The cards were made mostly from Stampin' Up! products.



Origami Shadowbox-First

Bird Fun Fold Card

April 15, 2015 UPDATE: This card placed in the Top Three at the Atlantic Hearts Challenge!

It's time again to enter another challenge at Atlantic Hearts. Using a sketch for inspiration is so helpful and fun! So here is my entry for Sketch #102:





I began by creating a shadowbox using an origami fold with two-sided DSP, sponging the edges of the triangles.  I added white cardstock behind the green branches so they would show better. The bird and branches were adhered to the shadowbox with foam tape onto the green square trimmed with a decorative edge. Using the same DSP I added a vertical strip. The green cardstock was added to each side of the card and hemp was tied around the card. The entire piece was adhered to the card base.

The inside of the card was decorated with white cardstock and a strip of the same DSP.



Visit the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge for clever card ideas!

Techniques: Origami, punching, sponging, die cutting
Recipe: Products are Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: none
Ink: Mossy Meadow
Markers: Basic Black
Cardstock: Crisp Cantaloupe, Mossy Meadow, Whisper White, Coastal Cabana
DSP: Birthday Bash Collection
Die: Spellbinders Labels (decorative edge)
Punch: Bird on a Branch
Other: True Hemp by Hemptique, foam tape
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Origami Shadowbox-Second

Bird Shadowbox Fold

This card is for Challenge #239, "To Die For," with The Paper Players. There are many participants in this challenge and the majority of them are experienced card makers. I am beginning to participate in more challenges but have no great expectations. I enjoy them because the sketches provide inspiration and ideas.





I began by creating a shadowbox using an origami fold with two-sided DSP and sponging the triangles. I added white cardstock behind the green branches so they would show better. The bird and branches were popped up with foam tape and adhered to the shadowbox. Using the same DSP I added a vertical strip. Green cardstock edges were added to each side and hemp was tied around the card. The shadowbox was adhered to a green square with a die cut decorative edge. This was all popped up on foam tape and adhered to the card base.

The sentiment was stamped directly onto the cardstock.

The inside of the card was decorated with white cardstock and a strip of the same DSP.







Visit The Paper Players to see the wide variety of card styles and for new ideas.

Techniques: Origami, stamping, punching, die cutting, sponging

Funky Flamingos

Think Pink!

I am entering CAS(E) This Sketch! Challenge #117. My card calls for a bit of humor to appreciate it. I thought about all the obvious images - shapes, leaves, flowers, eggs, numerals, butterflies, but could not find inspiration to create a card. I was tidying my craft room and came across the "Flamingo Lingo" stamp set and the idea took shape.

I stamped the images, masking parts of the stamp for the two colors. The wings were emphasized with white gel pen. The images were cut apart into two-inch squares. At this point, I decided to add the water and the sky. The sky was sponged using the edge of a cloud die and the water was sponged by using the edge from a punch cut. The lower squares were spatter painted to look like splashing water.

The card was finished by adding a candy dot and Wink of Stella to each flamingo. The squares were then matted and popped up with Fun Foam squares. This will be the first time I have submitted a card to CAS(E) This Sketch! so stop over at their blog for creative inspiration and to view other cards.

By the way, CAS sands for Clean and Simple. CASE is the acronym for Copy and Share Everything or, as I recently heard, Copy and Steal Everything.

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, masking, spatter painting

Card Recipe: Products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Flamingo Lingo stamp set
Cardstock: Whisper White, Strawberry Slush, Daffodil Delight
Ink: Strawberry Slush, Daffodil Delight, Lost Lagoon, Soft Sky
Markers (non-alcohol): Basic Black, Daffodil Delight
Die: Mama Elephant Creative Cuts
Punch: Fiskars Ocean Waves
Other: Candy Dots, Fun Foam, Uniball Signo gel pen (white), ZIG Wink of Stella (clear)
Size: A7 (5" x 7")

Special Friend Card

Easter Card from a Friend

 

 

My friend, Sue, who introduced me to card making, created this beautiful card for me for Easter. It's a thoughtful and lovely card for a meaningful occasion. Visit her blog here to see her wonderful creations.



Floral All Purpose Card

Because my printer needs toner I am unable to print any quality digital images so I decided to enter the Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 (SSW2) Challenge #49 with this card, made the "old-fashioned" way.



 



I selected textured cardstock for the card base. Squares were cut from white, gold and coral cardstock and two DSP designs. They were adhered and popped up with Fun Foam. I purposely die cut a circle frame in a smaller size so it would sit behind the flower when  adhered to the card.

The flower and leaf images were stamped on white cardstock with Memento ink, color blended with alcohol markers and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. This gives the images a lovely patina. The floral image was fussy-cut and popped up with Fun Foam when adhered to the card. The petals were curled to add depth. The leaves were also fussy cut. I shaped and rolled the leaves for dimension and tucked them behind the flower with glue dots.

The wavy feature was die cut from cardstock and adhered to the card. Wink of Stella (clear) was added to give a soft shine but typically does not appear in photos.

To finish the card, I added sequins in orange, green and gold and touched up the center of the flower with Dazzling Details in gold. The inside of the card was finished with a piece of white cardstock and a coordinating wavy feature.

Have some fun and join in the challenge at the Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 (SSW2) Challenge blog. In the meantime, I'll be driving into town to buy toner for my printer!

Techniques: Stamping, fussy cutting, die cutting, color blending, heat embossing

Products:
Stamp: SU! Peaceful Petals 
Cardstock: SU! Whisper White and scraps.
DSP: Scraps
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Alcohol Markers: Spectrum Noir CR8, CR10, OR1, CT3, CG1, DG2
Dies: Spellbinders Circle Die, Reverse Confetti Doing the Wave 
Other: Pretty Pink Posh sequins, SU! Dazzling Details (gold), ZIG Wink of Stella (clear), SU! embossing powder (clear) 
Size: 5" x 5"