A Cut Above (Day 3) - Shaped Cards

Day 3 of the on-line class A Cut Above was all about shaped cards.  Decided to use Cricut cart Christmas/Noel to die cut this window frame shape:

The frame was embossed with Hero Arts (HA) S5208 Designer Woodgrain in white then distressed with Ranger antique linen distress ink.  Poppies from HA CL449 Delicate Blossoms were embossed on watercolor paper then watercolored (using Zing water brush) with Ranger spiced marmalade and barn door distress inks and background was lightly brushed with tumbled glass distress ink.  Sentiment from HA CL266 Mix & Match Elements was embossed on a piece of vellum and adhered behind the window frame.  Butterfly from HA CL383 Antique Engravings was also embossed on a piece of AMuse gingham pp.  After assembling the card base(this Cricut cart has a blackout feature that I used to die cut the card base pieces) the window frame was adhered to the front with foam tape.

I'm going to link this up to several challenges including:

 one sponsored by Hero Arts 

this one sponsored by A Blog Named Hero

and finally this one sponsored by Lily Pad Cards

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!



CAS Card Making Class Week 1

CAS is a card making style I struggle with so I jumped at the chance to take an on-line Clean & Simple Card Making class!  I've  already learned so much in the first week- I really love how the instructors share their "tricks of the trade"!  One of the topics discussed on Day 3 was sources of inspiration (i.e. magazines, pinterest, store window displays, etc.).  While I was eating my breakfast I really noticed how pretty the pattern of our tablerunner is:

And though I hardly did the inspiration justice here is my card:

I layered some diecuts (a technique learned in class) from the Cricut cart Storybook as I thought their shape was kind of similar to the flowers in the runner.  I embossed the Hero Arts sentiment in black to give more texture to the card.  Still thought it needed SOMEthing so I added some Doodlecharms baker's twine and Michael's black pearls to die cut circles for the flower centers. 

NOT my favorite card.  If I were the teacher I'd give it a "C".  No where to go but up I suppose!  LOL!

50 and Fab!

It's my sister-in-law Sue's 50th birthday this Friday. I really hate all that "Over the Hill" stuff and black balloons they sell to supposedly commemorate someone's 50th birthday.  Here's the card I created for her:

 

Not one bit of stamping!  I used Cricut Summer in Paris cart to die cut the silhouette female and Storybook cart for the letters.  I found the little K & Co purse embellie at Big Lots awhile ago. 
Other Materials Used: Papertrey ink cs, Stampin' Up scalloped border punch, Source of pp unknown

My sister-in-law has raised two of the most delightful young ladies - Kelly will be a senior at Clemson University this Fall and Katie will be a senior in high school.  She opens her southern home to her mother for 4 months out of the year so my mother-in-law doesn't have to endure the harsh upstate NY winters.  She cheerfully altered her family's eating and exercise habits when her husband's doctor discovered some medical issues.  And during a recent visit she gave me a gift certificate she'd won as it could be used at their local stamping store.  Fabulous indeed!

 

When Was the Last Time You Used Pinking Shears?

I've had this idea for a congrats card for a new baby girl all month and finally put it together today:

The die cut onesie is from Cricut New Beginnings cart.  I stamped it with this cute sentiment from studio g I found in the $1 bin at AC Moore.  The background was stamped with Hero Arts S5215 Clouds in Color Box french blue ink.  The sun and tiny clothespins are images from Hero Arts CL439 Kiss From the Sun clear set.  I happened to notice my pinking shears collecting dust while hanging from my craft room wall and thought I should put them to good use making some grassy hills:)
Other Materials Used:  Papertrey ink cloud die, Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder, Martha Stewart baker's twine, Oriental Yrader button, Stampin' Up cs and pp.

Now if only one of our nieces or nephews would cooperate and give me a reason to need this card...........:)  :)   :)

His & Hers

This fun patterned paper from American Crafts immediately made me think of the chairs in Hero Arts clear set CL480 Wish You Were Here so of course I had to buy a sheet :)

I embossed one of the chairs from this set on the solid red reverse side of the pp, cut it out and mounted it on a swiss dot embossed circle.  The sentiment from the same set was stamped on a thought bubble I die cut from Cricut George and Basic Shapes cart and adhered to the card front as shown.

Other Materials Used:  Martha Stewart baker's twine, Stampin' Up cs and ink, Nestie, Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder

I didn't stop there!  A cute anniversary card featuring His & Her towels in Card Creations Volume 9 page 17 inspired me to create this card that could be used as either an Engagement or Wedding card:

The sentiment from Hero Arts set CL342 Everyday Sayings was embossed on a piece of vellum and attached to the card front with brads.  I found the His & Hers letter stickers at Dollar General.  The "rug" was made by die cutting an oval from Cricut George and Basic Shapes cart and snipping the edges with scissors to create "fringe".

Other Materials Used:  Stampin' Up cs, pp, vellum and ink, Making Memories brads, Nestie, Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder

Thanks for all your sweet comments!  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend :)

Dots & Flowers

This card finally made it to the birthday girl over the weekend so I can share it here:

I was totally inspired by this patterned paper from "the girls' paperie".  I die cut the dress form from the dotted reverse side of the striped paper.  The button card is a copy of a vintage one that I printed out on cream colored cardstock and then distressed with Ranger antique linen distress ink.  I glued the pink vintage reproduction buttons to it before adhering it to the card front.  I found the Wilton pink paper doily in a Walmart clearance aisle.  When I was putting the card together I thought it was missing something so I added the die cut paper ric rac that my sweet flickr friend Anita sent to me - I think it's just what the card needed :) 

Not a whole lot of stampin' going on but this was a fun card to put together. My dh blames the birthday girl Allysa for what he refers to as my "papercrafting addiction".  Since she's also responsible for introducing me to Zumba I like to joke around that if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have any hobbies :) 
Other Materials Used: Martha Stewart baker's twine, Rubber Stampede Sentiment, Stampin' Up ink, Cricut cart Summer in Paris (dress form die cut), Cricut cart George and Basic Shapes (label die cut)

Hope everyone is having a great start to their week!  Thanks for stopping by and for your comments!

Someone's Turning 90!

A question I get from a lot of people is "What the heck do you do with all those cards you make??!!"  Last year I happened to notice an article written in my church's newsletter by the parish nurse asking if folks would be interested in sending cards on a regular basis to some of the older members of the congregation who are shut-ins.  To a cardmaker this was a "no-brainer" and I immediately signed on to send cards to 5 people.  To my surprise (and delight!) some of them started sending me little notes back!!  A correspondence really flourished between Ed and me (I think if Ed hadn't been 90 my dh might have been a bit jealous!) until he passed away last year.  Shortly afterwards I received a letter from one of his daughters who lived out of state and had visited her dad every month.  She wanted to let me know how much my cards had meant to her dad and how much she herself had enjoyed my creations!  Her own church has a similar card ministry and she was going to let them know what a difference a card and a short note can make in a lonely person's life.

The card I'm sharing today is for Ann who turns 90 next month!  I thought the coordinating Stampin' Up patterned papers I chose would be perfect as they have a sweet vintage feel to them.  The cupcake is from Hero Arts (HA) LL247 Birthday Cupcakes.  I switched out the cherry on top for the pink resin flower embellie I found at Michael's.  The sentiment is from HA CL280 Elephants.  The cake stand was die cut using Cricut Summer in Paris cart and then embossed with Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder.  I had a light green paper doily in my stash so I added a piece of it to the stand.  The layered flower was die cut using Cricut Mother's Day Bouquet cart.  I can't wait to deliver this to Ann in person along with some homemade cupcakes :)
Other Materials Used:  Stampin' Up cs and ink, Nesties

Hope you have an enormously wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!