Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I didn't send out many valentine's this year, but I did send a few.

I wish I could remember which Stampin' Up stamp set the flower heart came from, which was stamped with SU's "Cherry Cobbler" ink and fussy cut.  They are pop dotted to the Gina K's heavy white cardstock, which is mounted on SU's "Cherry Cobbler" card stock.  The embossed hearts is also from Stampin' Up, as is the "Love You much" stamp from "Well Scripted", which was also stamped with SU's "Cherry Cobbler" ink.  I just love the font SU chose for this stamp set.  I finished off the card with a small heart from SU's "Embosslets Fashionable Hearts" which I glittered and SU's "Cherry Cobbler" baker's twine. 

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day.  My hubby did buy me a Hallmark card, which had a vintage Mickey and Minnie Mouse magnet attached, which is now on my fridge.  I really liked the magnet :)  Have a wonderful weekend.  I'll be back tomorrow to post my MM challenge card.

Serene Silhouettes for DD#89

The sun is shining here today.  I heard on the news yesterday that since Dec. 1, we have only had 11 days of sunshine as of yesterday.  How depressing is that?  I have a ton of birthday and Valentine's Day cards to make this week, so I decided to make a bunch of different CAS cards.  Here's the one I made for Dynamic Duos #89 challenge for this week.

I started out with white Gina K card stock.  I cut an oval shape out of scrap paper and covered the card stock with it and sponged SU's "Pistachio Pudding" and "Blushing Bride" inks.   I removed the oval scrap paper and  then used VersaMark Dazzle in "Frost" for the flower stamp from SU's Serene Silhouettes stamp set and embossed the image with Stampendous "PEARLuster Pearl White" embossing powder.   I stamped "Happy Birthday" from SU's Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp set.  I then used ribbon from Michael's to finish off the card.  1 card down...10 to go!! 

I have to get a few Valentine's cards done today to have them in the mail tomorrow.  I hope the ideas for them start flowing very soon.  Thank you for stopping by. 

Stockings Hung with Care for MMC#94

Stockings, huge part of Christmas, right?  I did find some stocking stamps, but they were so tiny, I couldn't think of what to do with them for this week's Merry Monday Challenge #94.    Ding...ding...ding...light bulb goes off Monday at a class Marcia and I took at a local scrapbook store making valentine treat holders...I could use my new Silhoutte Cameo that my hubby got me for Christmas (gave him a huge hint...sent him the link...box that is covered with "Scrapbook.com" arrives a week later.  I thought it was hilarious, but awful at the same time, since I knew what it was, and couldn't have it for three more weeks!!!).  Good thing I was busy trying to get everything done before kids came home for Christmas.

I downloaded the stockings, the "Stockings Hung With Care" saying and the Santa boots from the Silhoutte store.  I used cardstock scraps I had in my scrap box for all the cutting.  I also used Tim Holtz's "Bricked" embossing folder and colored over the brick with Stampin' Up's Bravo Burgundy" ink.  I then used Stampin' Up's "Woodgrain" embossing folder on SU's "Soft Suede" cardstock for the mantle.  I used the Martha Stewart "branch" punch for the greens on top of the mantle and I hung the stockings with silver brads.

I had this card floating around in my head since Monday afternoon and finally was able to put it to paper Thursday afternoon.  Was very impressed that my idea actually worked on paper.  That doesn't happen every time.

Thank you, Merry Mondays, for really making me think outside the box.  I don't usually make cards without stamping something, so this is new for me!  Thanks for stopping by.

Happiest Birthday Wishes for Dynamic Duos #88 Challenge

I needed to make a birthday card for an upcoming birthday.  I decided I would use Dynamic Duos #88 colors and enter the card into their challenge.

I used "Real Red" card stock from Stampin' Up and stamped SU's "Print Pattern" and the scattered dots from SU's "Gorgeous Grunge" in "Real Red" ink for the background.  I cut SU's "Island Indigo" cardstock 2" x 5.5" and embossed with Cuttlebug's "Seeing Spots" and attached it to the "Real Red" card stock.  I colored  the happy Birthday stamp, from SU's "Happiest Birthday Wishes" stamp set, with SU's  "Island Indigo" and "Real Red" markers on white card stock and attached it to "Island Indigo" and "Real Red" card stock.  I attached a small silver brad to the "I" on the happy birthday stamp.  To finish off the card, I attached 2 brushed silver brads on each side of the happy birthday.  Thanks for stopping by.

Delightful Decorations for MM#93 and FFC#24

Here's another entry for both Merry Monday (MM#93)

and Festive Friday's Challenge (FFC#24).  Christmas is such a special time of year for a lot of us.  I grew up in a family of seven.  We lived in a small town and I went to school with most of my cousins.  Needless to say, we had large Christmas gatherings.  That was what I loved most about Christmas growing up in that small town.  We still have large Christmas gatherings, which are the best, in the house I grew up in.  One of the many traditions is my parents buying each of us kids (and now grandchildren) Hallmark ornaments.  I have also handed this tradition down to my kids and someday, my grandchildren will be getting ornaments from us.  The first ornament I have is from 1977, which I believe was the first year our local drugstore started carrying Hallmark ornaments.  If they weren't put away for the year, I would have shared a picture of it with you.   So seeing these two pictures of ornaments touched me very much.  Here's my card for both challenges this week. 

I started out with Stampin' Up's "Smoky Slate" and "Wisteria Wonder" Card Stock.  Then used Echo Park's "Winter Wishes Designer Paper.  I stamped two ornaments from Stampin' Up's "Delightful Decorations" in both Stampin' Up's "Wisteria Wonder" and "Elegant Eggplant" inks.  I punched both of those ornaments out the SU's "Ornament Punch".  I then used Impression Obsession "Ornament Die (#DIE032-J)" on white card stock and stamped "Merry Christmas" from Inkadinkado's "Warm Holiday Wishes" stamp set in SU's "Elegant Eggplant" ink.  I used SU's "Smoky Slate" for the top of the ornament (part of the die set), attached silver cording to two ornaments and white gauze ribbon with a snowflake button to the large ornament.  All three ornaments are pop-dotted.  Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Masculine card

The card on the right is the one I made for my son, Nick, who is currently attending college in Colorado for outdoor recreation.  He loves to mountain climb and the card on the right was my inspiration for his birthday card.  I saw the card on Pinterest and found out that it was made by Erin Lincoln and was published in Paper Crafts "Card Creations for Him".   

I liked Erin's card very much, but wanted to make the card my own.  I used black card stock as the base, then used a shimmery gray textured card stock (both from a local scrapbook store).  I wish I had a better picture of my card, but It would lay flat because of the textured cardstock.  I traced one of the many carabiners we have around the house on yellow, green and orange cardstock and cut them out.  I then used silver shiny paper and attached them to the orange, yellow and green carabiners with silver brads so they would open like a real carabiners.  I attached them to the card by tying them on with black cording.  I then printed off different mountain climbing terms cut and attached them to the front of the card.  My card isn't as clean and simple as Erin's, but I still like the way it turned out and Nick thought it was a great card.  He called me the day he received it pretty excited about the card.  Don't you just love it when you make a card for someone that you know is just perfect for them?  It is one of the biggest reasons why I make cards!

Birthday posies for Dynamic Duos Challenge (DD#87)

I need to start today, by thanking Darnell Knauss for the shout out on her blog http://www.djkardkreations.com/ today.  That was so very nice of her.  If you have time and haven't visited her blog, check her out.  She has gorgeous cards and I love her playhouse.  I wish I had one!!!

I need to start making  February birthday cards for my sister and I wanted to see what the colors were for Dynamic Duos today and thought these two colors would look great on a birthday card.  I don't have any umbrella stamps or die cuts, so I was glad that was optional.  Here's my card for this week's challenge and I have one card done for my sister...always a bonus.  I used Stampin' Up's black card stock and then used Gina K's "passionate pink" card stock and the designer paper is from Gina K's "Wisteria Lane" 6x6 pack.  The black ribbon is also from Gina K.  I used Spellbinders "Heartfelt Creations Posy: die cuts for all the flowers.  The large posy is cut out of the pink card stock and backed with designer paper.  I then cut smaller posies out of black card stock and the circles out of the pink cardstock and used pearl dots to finish off the flowers.  All the flowers are pop dotted, as is the pink card stock.  The stamp "make a wish" is from an unknown stamp set that Marcia gave me as a gift a few years back.  Thanks DD for the color challenge this week.  Thank you for stopping by.

O Holy Night card for Festive Friday FFC#23

It just dawned on me today that one of the cards I made for this past Christmas works for the Festive Friday FFC#23 challenge.   So here's it is.  I started out with Gina K white cardstock, then used Stampin' Up's "Real Red" cardstock and embossed it with Stampin' Up's "Northern Flurry".  I then used Stampin' Up's "O Holy Night" stamped in Color Box's "Chianti" ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder.  I mounted it on Silver paper that I picked up years ago at a local scrapbook store.  The ribbon is from Michael's that is a few years old, too.  I also used Stampin' Up's "White Stampin' Chalk" marker, which is one of the best white markers I have used to date.  I loved how simply this card came together for me.  Thanks for stopping by.

Merry Monday #92 & Festive Friday FFC#23 Challenges -- Winter Hills

I'm back again for another Merry Monday Challenge.  I knew as soon as I saw this week's challengethat I had to participate.  I love these colors together, especially for Christmas.  I had already made a card similar to this one earlier this month, but in blues.  I will post that card after the upcoming birthday.   So all week, I had this card running through my head and just needed to find the time to make it.  I am cutting it close to today's deadline of noon PST or 3pm EST!  This card also works for the Festive Friday Challenge too.  Here's the picture that your inspiration was to come from.  I instantly thought of this stamp when I say the picture of the red barn!

 I started with Stampin' Up's "Chocolate Chip" and "Crumb Cake" cardstock.  I used "Ivory" cardstock from Gina K and stamped the "Christmas Sayings" Background by Rubber Stampede in Stampin' Up's "Soft Suede"ink.  Then I put a 2.25" strip of snowflake designer paper from Echo Park's "Very Merry Christmas" 6x6 paper pad.  I then stamped the house & barn from Paper Tray Ink's "Winter Hills" stamp set in Stampin' Up's "Soft Suede" ink and colored the barn and house with Copic Markers #R27 and E43 and used Zig marker "Wink of Stella" which give the snow and roof tops a glimmer of sparkle, which is very hard to see.  I finished the card with lots of ribbon.  The brown ribbon is from Gina K and the kraft poke-a-dot  and red poke-a dot ribbons are both from American Crafts.  This challenge was fun and I loved how the idea in my head worked out so well on paper!  Thanks for stopping by.

Merry Monday #91 - Frosty Snowman

Wow how time flies when you are very busy.  I couldn't believe my last post was in October.   I thought I better post so no one thinks I've abandoned blogging.   It's not like I haven't been making cards because I have made many in the last 3 months.  I will try to get them all up on my blog as soon as I can. 

Cardstock - Ivory from Gina K, Red from local scrapbook store and Crumb Cake from Stampin' Up.
Sizzix Snowflake Embossing Folder
Ink:  Soft Suede
Copic Markers: R27, G14 and E74
Ribbon bought at Michaels
Stampin' Up's Labels Collection Dies
Stamp: Stampin' Up's Best of 25  "Best of Snow"
Stampendous Shabby White Embossing enamel

I embossed the snowflakes on Crumb Cake cardstock, sponged Soft Suede over the embossed snowflakes and scattered some Shabby White embossing enamel.  I wrapped white glitter ribbon around the crumb cake cardstock, which I mounted on red cardstock and then on Ivory cardstock.  I stamped the snowman on Ivory cardstock in soft suede ink colored him with copics and used the shabby white embossing enamel on the bottom and along the right side of the snowman.  I mounted him on red cardstock and used the shabby white embossing enamel along the edge of the red cardstock.  I have to tell you I'm in love with the embossing enamel.  I love that you heat it from underneath and see it melt before your eyes!  Coolest stuff ever!

My influence for this card came from my good friend Marcia Hill.  She always makes some great "vintage" looking cards that I love and wish I could make them as well as she does!

I have been watching Marcia make Christmas cards each week for the past year for Merry Monday Challenges and thought I should try to do the same this year, so I could have a healthy stack of Christmas cards ready for Christmas 2014, instead of waiting until it's almost too late to get my Christmas cards made, signed, addressed and in the mail!  Here's my first entry!