Nerds Rule - Handmade Plaid Design

It's almost birthday time for my nephew, who at 25 years old, will enjoy the nerdy card. He is quite the clever young man but reserved and soft-spoken. He lives in Florida so has learned to sail and has been taught to use certain tools toward that end. It takes an engineer's mind to be good at sailing so I chose to make my card toward that end. I stamped the inside of the card to say, "True brainiac, Just saying... Happy Birthday". I know he'll love it!

The design was inspired by the CASE This Sketch Challenge #164 and the colors were inspired by the Can You CASE It? Color Challenge #113. I also knew that it was time for the Masculine Inspiration Challenge at Always Playing with Paper #66. This is still a new challenge for me but I have followed Lesley Croghan's artwork for quite some time.

A note about the colors: I do not yet have a complete set of Spectrum Noir markers, so the colors selected for the plaid design are as closely matched as possible to the challenge colors.

 

After viewing a You Tube video HERE, I decided to make my own plaid

background paper with alcohol markers and I'm happy with the result. The card base is Kraft cardstock, topped with an offset panel of cardstock. The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock and a leftover strip of the handmade plaid. Another panel of white cardstock was offset and adhered, then the background plaid was added. The pencil was stamped then colored with gray and tan markers and tiny lines added to designate the shape of the pencil. The pencil was layered on two pieces of card stock, fussy cut and adhered using foam to pop it up. The sentiment was stamped and fussy cut, then adhered to two die cut circles and added to the card.


Please visit the challenge blogs at CTS164, CYCI113 and APWP #66 to join in the fun!

Techniques: Handmade plaid design, stamping, sponging, die cutting, fussy cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")



Stampin' Up! Materials
Inks: Basic Gray, Baked Brown Sugar
Cardstock: Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Smoky Slate
Misc.: Dimensionals foam

CTMH Materials:
Stamps: "Geek Is Chic"

Other Materials:
Cardstock: Kraft card base (and envelope), Spectrum Noir
Inks: Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers

By the Seashore

3/30/2016 Update: This card was a Top Three winner at AHSC #152!








Today's card was inspired by the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #152 and Just Us Girls Photo Inspiration #336. My childhood and much of my adult life was filled with time spent in, on or by the sea. Who could have ever imagined that now I'm retired and living in the Sonoran Desert! I intended for the card to be masculine but by adding the rhinestones to give the look of sparkling water I am unsure if I could get away with that now.

On a panel of die cut cardstock, the Sea Fan coral was heat embossed in two colors. The other four images were stamped, heat embossed in various colors and fussy cut. A panel of paper with shells was adhered to a panel of cardstock. The striped Washi tape was thought to be paper until it was cut to size. There was a peel away backing for adhering it and liking the Washi look, it was used for the ribbon and the banner. The die cut panel in Pool Party was adhered to a panel of Vanilla cardstock, then the Vanilla was fussy cut as a mat. It was adhered with foam tape to add dimension. The images were also adhered with foam tape. This was all added to the card base, which was lined with
cardstock and decorated with a heat embossed Sea Fan coral image in Pool Party powder.

Visit the AHSC and JUGS blogs for challenge fun!

Techniques: Stamping, die cutting, fussy cutting, heat embossing
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Stampin' Up! Materials
Stamps: "By the Tide" and "By the Seashore"
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Gray, Pool Party
Misc.: Embossing powder (various colors), Dimensions foam tape, rhinestones

Other Materials
Inks: Versamark
DSP: Paper Pizzazz "Sea Shells" (from Joann's)
Die: My Favorite Things Die-namics Stitched Rounded Rectangles

Whatcha Bean Doin'?

Today is the final day of the Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. I only have one coffee card to submit although there is still time before the deadline to submit another!

Downloaded digital images were resized, printed on cardstock and then hand colored. Spatters and other grunge were added to a panel of cardstock, which was adhered to a red panel and the card base. The images were fussy cut and popped up on craft foam to add dimension. The sentiment was computer generated then adhered to a banner of coffee bean DSP. The inside was lined with a panel of cardstock and decorated with a strip of coffee bean DSP.

To be eligible for prizes, submit your coffee cards to Coffee Lovers
before 5 pm PDT today!

Techniques: Stamping, coloring, fussy cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Stampin' Up! Materials
Inks: Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Real Red, Baked Brown Sugar
Misc.: Dimensionals foam tape

Other Materials
Stamps: Bugaboo Digi Stamps "The Grind"
Inks: Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers
DSP: Moxie "Coffee Addict"
Misc.: Kool-Tak clear foam

Thinking of You

The colors in this card were selected by the Color My Heart: Color Dare #185 team. I was inspired to use flowers by Always Playing with Paper's The Challenge #65. The past week has been a bit consumed with making coffee cards for a blog hop so it was refreshing to create a card without thinking about clever coffee puns. I used one of my favorite floral stamp sets of which I never tire.

 

Three flowers and six leaves were stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with white powder. They were then colored using an Aqua Painter loaded with pink ink. Once dry, they were washed with white craft ink. After fussy cutting all the images (there are dies but I did not want a white border) they were ready to adhere to the card base. The card base was decorated with two panels cut diagonally, a partial die cut wreath and a hand cut banner. One flower was directly adhered, one was adhered with extra thin foam tape and the third was backed with thicker foam tape. The leaf stems were all directly adhered but the ends of the leaves were popped up with tiny bits of clear foam. The sentiment was stamped on a

die cut oval and a tiny die cut flower was added. The inside was decorated with a stamped pink flower and two green leaves.

Stop by Color Dare and The Challenge blogs to view beautiful creations and join in some challenge fun!

Techniques: Stamping, water coloring, white washing, heat embossing, emboss resist, die cutting, fussy cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Close to My Heart Materials
Cardstock: Sweet Leaf, Topiary, Cotton Candy

Stampin' Up! Materials
Stamps: Secret Garden (flowers), Birthday Blossoms (leaves), Sassy Salutations (sentiment)
Inks: White Craft, Strawberry Slush (sub for Cotton Candy), Certainly Celery (sub for Sweet Leaf)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Soft Sky (sub for Glacier), water color
Misc.: Dimensionals foam tape, white embossing powder

Other Materials
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Dies: Gina K Designs Stacking Ovals, Lil' Inker Designs "Perky Posies" (small pink flower on sentiment), Lea'bilities "Four Season Wreath"
Misc.: Kool-Tac clear foam

When Pigs Fly Coffee Card

After recently shopping in a store dedicated to papercrafting, the owner presented me with a gift of assorted DSP because I was a first time customer. Included were two sheets that I used in this card: the flying pigs and saying on one sheet and the background paper on the other. With the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop underway, I thought this was a fun way to use the paper.

The background paper was adhered to the card base. A computer generated "pledge" was die cut along with the DSP, qualifying that the pledge was not true! The pig was fussy cut, the clouds die cut and they were popped up with foam tape. The inside of the card was decorated with strips of DSP.

Join in the prize-winning fun at Coffee Lovers!



Techniques: Die cutting, fussy cutting, computer generated sentiment
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Stampin' Up! Materials
Inks: Soft Suede Stampin' Write marker (touch up on pig)
Stamps: Computer generated sentiment
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Soft Sky
Misc.: Dimensionals foam


Other Materials:
DSP: Graphic 45 "When Pigs Fly" and "Exquisite Motif"
Dies: Simon Says Stamp "My Heart Soars" (clouds) and My Favorite Things Die-namics "Stitched Rounded Rectangles"

A Bird's Eye View - CAS

Another card for the Coffee Lovers! My card was inspired by a photo of a bird's eye view of coffee cups but I cannot recall where it was.

 

Circles were die cut to represent three cups of dark brown (black) coffee, café au lait and coffee decorated with foamed milk in three different sizes. The cup handles were made on the trimmer and adhered to the circles. The completed cups of coffee were popped up on foam tape for dimension. They were adhered to ombre DSP, which had been adhered to brown cardstock. The hearts were stamped, ribbon added and the sentiment computer generated. The sentiment banner was also backed with foam tape. This was all adhered to a card base. The inside of the card was decorated with a strip of the ombre DSP mounted on brown cardstock.

Visit the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop to see hundreds of designs!

Techniques: CAS, Stamping, die cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Stampin' Up! Materials
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip
DSP: scraps from stash
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Strawberry Slush
Misc.: Dimensionals foam

Other Materials
Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs "Greetings & Salutations" (hearts); sentiment - computer generated
DSP: Lil' Inker Designs Dip Died Ombre
Misc.: brown dotted ribbon

Big Cups Coffee Card

Another card for day three at the Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop using a color challenge at Just Us Girls #335.

Because my coffee cup dies are small, I drew this large cup, lid and sleeve by hand and fussy cut them. The cup was assembled, stamped with "Coffee" and a heart, and backed with foam to pop it up. The sentiment was matted with a die cut scalloped rectangle and also popped up. The card was layered onto a white card base by layering a panel of pink, a die cut scalloped border of yellow and a panel of purple. The inside was decorated with a few heart stamps.

Techniques: Stamping, die cutting, fussy cutting, free hand drawing and cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")


Stampin' Up! Materials
Ink: Strawberry Slush
Cardstock: Whisper White, Strawberry Slush, Perfect Plum
DSP: Scraps
Misc.: Dimensionals foam

Other Materials
Stamps: Lil' Inker "Coffee Cozy"
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Dies: Lawn Fawn "Stitched Scalloped Borders" & Crafters Companion Die'sire "Scalloped Rectangles"

Circle of Spring

One of my favorite things to do with cardmaking is to combine challenges. This card combines inspiration from both a color challenge and a sketch.

1. Color Throwdown #384








2. Pals Paper Arts #292

The wreath was stamped, colored and die cut, popped up with foam and then adhered to layers of DSP and cardstock. The inside was decorated with a strip of the green DSP. Clear Wink of Stella was added to the flowers. No sentiment has been added because I use many of my cards for general correspondence to family and friends.



Techniques: Stamping, coloring, die cutting, CAS
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted -
Stamp: Circle of Spring
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Whisper White, Wister Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Real Red
DSP: From scraps in stash
Die: Wonderful Wreath Framelits
Misc.: Dimensionals foam, Wink of Stella (clear)

Warm and Cozy Wishes Coffee Card

This card is for Day Two of the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog Hop. Lots of great giveaways!

It has taken me years to cultivate a taste for coffee but I love it... hot or cold. And the coffee trend seems to be growing all the time. The cup and sleeve (cozy) were die cut from coordinating DSP along with a cardstock lid. The floral DSP, in addition to the aqua color, also has a dark green leaf so two swirls were die cut from cardstock. A large tag was die cut and the swirls and coffee cup were adhered. The cup was popped up on foam. The large tag was backed with foam for dimension and popped up on a panel of coffee themed DSP adhered to a card base

in dark brown. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of cardstock and decorated with a strip of DSP to match the cup sleeve. The bow was added along with the stamped sentiment.

Be sure to join in the fun at the blog hop!

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, die cutting, CAS
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Stampin' Up! Materials
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Mossy Meadow
DSP: Pretty Petals 6" x 6" stack
Misc.: Dimensionals foam

Other Materials
Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs "Coffee Cozy"
Dies: Lil' Inker Designs "Coffee Cozy"; Reverse Confetti "Swirlies"

Misc.: Ribbon



Turning in Circles - CAS

This CAS card came to be because I was inspired by two separate biweekly challenges:

1. Sunday Stamps Sketch Challenge #122:

2. Inkspirational Color Challenge #104:

All of the images were die cut from two shades of gray cardstock and one shade of pink cardstock. (The Smoky Slate appears to have a light blue cast in the photos, but is actually a light gray.) The pieces and the "negatives" were adhered to the card. A few were popped up with foam tape. The inside of the card was lined with pink cardstock, stamped with a circular birthday sentiment and a few more of the die cut elements were added.

Take a look at the blogs and enjoy the SSC122 and Inkspirational104 challenges!

Techniques: Stamping, die cutting, CAS
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Stampin' Up! Materials:
Ink: Basic Gray
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Blushing Bride
Misc.: Dimensionals foam

Other Materials:
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp "Circle Sayings"
Dies: Simon Says Stamp "Dotted Circles"

Fruit Basket Upset

3/23/2016 Update: This card was a Top Three pick at the AHSC sketch challenge!






Fruit Basket Upset is actually a child's game but I thought it worked well as a name for my card. The layout was inspired by the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #151. The design was inspired by the citrus trees in my neighbor's yard. They are heavy with ripe fruit because of the Arizona weather.

The fruit was all stamped and fussy cut. The card background was stamped on the left with chevrons. On the right side, flourishes were stamped using a stamping off technique. A vertical strip of cardstock was added then the fruits were arranged and adhered, popping up some of them while others are adhered flat. The sentiment was stamped and popped up on a banner. The inside was stamped with some orange and lemon slices.

Join in the weekly challenges by visiting the AHSC blog.

Techniques: Stamping, stamping off, fussy cutting
Size: A7 (5" x 7")

Materials
Stamps: CTMH "Taste of Summer"; SU! "Flowering Flourishes"; Lawn Fawn "Chevron Backdrop"
Inks: SU! Lucky Limeade, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Watermelon Wonder; Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: SU! Whisper White, Lucky Limeade, Pumpkin Pie, Strawberry Slush
Misc.: SU! Dimensionals foam