A Card with Punches - 52 (Christmas) Card Throwdown

When I saw the challenge over at 50 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, I knew just what I wanted to do to play along.  Come and take a look at what I've made.  

Using a piece of white card stock measuring 5.25 x 4 inches, I scored some lines to make a "door" with panels.  To make the wreath on the door, I punched multiple (30+) branches with a Martha Stewart punch in to shades of green.  I punched a large circle (a ring really) with a 2 inch and a 2.25 inch circle punch to be used to adhere my branches in a circle.  After scoring my door panels, I used a Copic marker C02, to add a bit of shadow to the panels.  To my leafy wreath, I added a bow stamped on red paper (PTI).  I cut the bow out and adhered it to the top of the wreath with a pop dot. The sentiment is also from PTI and was stamped on white and punched out with the long oval window slot punch...which made it fit nicely behind the wreath.  I also punched some red "berries", but they didn't pop enough so I added a piece of red bling on each red circle.  Finished off my door by adding a gold doorknob (gold brad), then popped the door panel on a white card base.  It's difficult to see on here, but I used the clear star pen from Sakura to add a little sparkle to the bow.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

Less is More....Really!

For the Less is More challenge this week, we've been provided a sketch by Jen.  Isn't this a great sketch?  Initially, I stumbled around trying to think of something to do that would be...you know...different.  That caused a great strain on my poor brain, so I just sat down and got busy!

I actually made 5 cards this week for the challenge.  My first card was also for the CASology challenge, so I put it in another post.  I don't often do this (as I usually can't seem to combine challenges!).  Anyway.....let's have a look at my cards for this week's challenge at Less is More.

Can you tell that I'm really enjoying this technique?! LOL!  I stamped a Hero Arts image with HA ink (sand).  This time, I actually cut the letters from the stamped piece, then cut the letters out two more times and adhered them to the back of the stamped letters to give it a little dimension.  Please note...when you have a letter that has a center like the letter "o", you have to adhere it lower than the rest of the letter to keep the dimension.  I backed my stamped piece with a piece of gold iridescent vellum (so I would have something to adhere the center of the "o" to).  I stamped the sentiment from Simon Says Stamps, then backed the strip with more of the gold iridescent vellum.  Then I adhered everything directly to the card base.

For this second card, I cut the flower shape with the Cameo, then stamped the Flourishes image on the cut out.  I colored the flowers with Copics, then adhered the flower to a piece of yellow card stock.  I lightly inked the edges of the yellow with a Copics Y24 marker.  I colored the banner with the same marker....adding in touches of Y11 and Y00 to give it a splotchy look.  The sentiment is from PTI and is pop dotted over the flowers.

For this card, I stamped this image from HA.  It is a pretty big image, so I had to trim off the edges a bit...not sure how I like that look....but I need it to be smaller.  The sentiment is from Flourishes.  I colored the image with Copics and added some tiny bling to the centers of the flowers.  The sentiment and the flower panel are on pop dots for added dimension.

This last card is SO super simple!.  I stamped the sentiment focal point in black (PTI sentiment).  I also stamped three red stars and highlighted them with a Sakura clear star pen.  I embossed the sentiment panel with a PTI embossing plate, bordered the image in red and pop dotted it to the white card base.  The strip was cut from the same red patterned paper.  I cut the fish-tailed ends on the banner, then added five tiny pieces of bling.  

Once I got started with this sketch, I could have made a dozen cards...but I forced myself to stop at 5! LOL!...So...which is your favorite?  I'm partial to the first card and the last card.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

CASology and LIM117

I must admit when I saw the cue card for this week's challenge at CASology, I was clueless about what I wanted to do.  I couldn't think of a single stamp I own that would work with this cue word.  So....I searched for something online...and found the perfect digi stamp at Mo's.

To make my card I also used the sketch from this week's challenge at Less is More.

Here's the result of my combining these two challenges:

I printed the image on white card stock and colored it with Copics. I masked off a piece for the ground and inked it up with distress ink (peeled paint).  Then, I lightly inked the "sky" with distress ink.  The sentiment is computer generated and trimmed into a fish-tailed tag. I also lightly inked the edges of the tag with some of the blue distress ink.  I matted the image with a piece of card stock that I colored the edges with the peeled paint distress ink marker.  The colored image and the sentiment are both pop dotted for a bit of dimension.

So...did it make you giggle?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

Two for the Price of One!

I had a chance to make a card this morning and it's for two challenges - Addicted to CAS and Addicted to Stamps and More.

The code word from ATCAS is "Flower" and the theme this week at Addicted to Stamps and More is "Anything Goes".

I really tried to keep it CAS and this is what I came up with.  I paper pieced the rose from a pattern that I found years ago.  I scanned it into my computer, then brought it into my Silhouette program and turned it into a cut file. I cut the rose stem and leaf from green card stock, then darkened the edges with a Copic marker.  I inked the edges of each piece of the rose bloom with some black ink to give it a little more dimension.  Lastly, I added a few dew drops to the rose and leaf with some crystal lacquer.  I made the vase with a banner die, just turned it on end. I colored it with Copics, then added a layer of crystal lacquer.  I grounded the vase with an oval from Avery Elle.  The sentiment is from HA.  I stamped the oval shadow and the sentiment with HA soft granite.  I embossed the top half of a panel with Cuttlebug EF, then scored a couple of lines below the embossing.  I added another panel behind the embossed panel.  To make it match my colors, I simply applied the soft granite ink to the edges of a piece of white card stock, then used it as a mat.  I popped the panel on a white card base.  I also added a touch of shading with a C2 Copic right below the embossed panel.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

LIM 116 - I'll Make my CASE

This week at Less is More, we've been challenged to CASE (copy and steal everything) either Chrissie's card or Jen's card.  I couldn't decide so, I CASEd both of them! 

Here's my take on this week's challenge:

I think this first card is my favorite this week.  This card is a CASE of Chrissie's card.  I was happy to see her card this week, as I've made several of these cards using this technique during the past couple of week, and I think I've got a good system going now.  When I stamp my letters, I cover the stamped image on the card with a piece of acetate, lightly adhere my letters where I want them to be on the card, then stamp them again.  Using the acetate helps me be able to see where I'm stamping.  Super cool technique.  I used my new stamp from HA for the background.  That think is huge...but SO pretty! I cut the letters for celebrate out with the Cameo four times, then stamped the top layer and adhered all the other layers behind that before adhering to the card.  I find it easier to cut out multiple letters than to try to get pop dots cut small enough.

This card is a CASE of Jen's card.  I CASEd the design and the paper piercing.  I have a sister-in-law who will soon turn 65...and I thought this would be perfect for her birthday.  I used a dark blue card stock under the white panel with the pierced edges.  I made a tag using a punch to cut each end, then scored a couple of lines across the long edges and added some piercing to the tag.  The sentiment was stamped in navy and embossed with clear EP.  I cut a banner from the blue card stock to layer under the tag.  

For this card I used a stamp that was in two parts...you stamped the stems then added the blooms.  I cut the letters with the Cameo and adhered them to the card with pop dots. The pink is SO not that bright IRL...must be camera trickery!  Popped the panel on a white card base and rounded all the corners.

This card is probably my least favorite.  I made it a combination of both Chrissie's card and Jen's card.  Technique from Chrissie and paper piercing from Jen.  I think it's probably the colors that I'm not crazy about.  I seem to be stuck on pink this week.  Maybe it would have been better in another color. The flourish is from PTI, I cut the word "birthday" with my Cameo (I welded the letters together this time...makes it much easier to keep straight!).  Rounded the corners...done!

Which card is your favorite this week?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

Fusion Card Challenge #3

The two challenges this week at Fusion are fabulous!  I loved the sketch and the colors, so I decided to combine the two for Fusion!

Aren't these colors awesome?  Here's my Fusion of the two challenges:

I used the MB butterfly and cut it from bright pink paper.  I also edged the white panel with the pink paper.  I added some glamour dust to the butterfly to make it sparkly.  The butterfly trail is a stamp from PTI...stamped in black.  The sentiment is from TPC Studios.  I wasn't planning to make this a "HI" card, but I got my butterfly too low and that's the only sentiment that would fit!  LOL!  I used my score board to added some scored lines across the bottom of the panel.  Popped the panel on a white card base....done!  

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

CAS(E) this Sketch #24

The sketch this week at CAS(E) this Sketch is a good one.  Here's the sketch:

 

I tried to keep it super simple, and this is what I came up with.

I used a white card base and rounded two of the corners.  I cut a piece of blue textured card stock and rounded opposing corners and adhered it to the card base with pop dots.  I stamped the sentiment with navy ink (SU).  The word "you" was something I made with the Cameo.  I hand wrote the word, scanned it in, then used the offset tool in the Silhouette program to make the letters "fatter". I cut out four layers of the word then glued them together to give me a word with dimension.  I will say that fiddling with such a tiny word was a bit of a challenge.  The word "you" is only about 1.5 inches long from tip to tip and about .5 inches tall.  You really have to be careful when you're gluing them together.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

Runway Inspired Challenge #34

This week's challenge at Runway Inspired Challenge is a beauty!  I couldn't wait to give it a try. Here's the inspiration photo:

 

 

Isn't this a great inspiration photo?  I knew just what I wanted to do...that's twice in one day!  It took me longer to find the stamp I wanted to use that it did to make the card! 

I found in my stash of rarely used stamps this cute flowery branch stamp from Fancy Pants...I must have bought this stamp set 8-10 years ago!  Anyway, it was perfect for what I wanted to do.  I cut a white panel 4 x 5.25 inches and stamped the flowery branch around the edges several times using archival black ink.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.  I also used the "spotlight" technique on this card for just the barest pop of red (see the model's lips?).  I layered the stamped panel on a black base cut just slightly larger, and then popped it all on a white card base.  Super quick and easy!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

Muse.....a challenge

This week the inspiration card at MUSE is a card by Marion Vagg.

I love the design of this card....and it only took me a few minutes to decide what I wanted to do.  Here's my take on Marion's card:

I used Lenten Rose collection from Flourishes for my image.  The stamp I wanted to use needed just one more flower, so I used the single bloom in the set and stamped it first (The bloom on the left)...masked it...then stamped the main image over the top of it, which gave me a few leaves behind the flower I added to the image.  I colored the roses and leaves with several shades of red Copics.  To give the card a little more dimension, I stamped the flowers again on another piece of card stock, colored them and cut out the flowers I wanted to use.  I pop dotted the flowers over the ones I'd already colored.  I added some yellow stickles to the centers of the flowers...then rounded the corners of the white panel and popped it on a white card base.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

Word!....at CASology

I didn't manage to get a card made for last week's challenge at CASology, and the week before I made the card but never got it posted until after the challenge ended! THIS week, I managed to get the card made AND I'm getting it posted in time! Aren't you proud of me?! LOL!

For this week's challenge at CASology, we've been given a cue word that could be interpreted SO many ways!  

I thought about making a card and just putting "word" on it...my kids use to say that all the time when they were teenagers...but I might be the only one who knows that.  Instead I decided to use a technique I used last week and create a birthday card.  With 17 grandchildren...somebody is always having a birthday!  Here's my take on this week's challenge:

The technique I used is one that I found here, but I found an even easier way to do this (at least it was easier for me!).  I stamped the image I wanted to use on my card base (I could have used a panel, but I wanted it to be simple).  I used a stamp set from PTI where the stems are stamped and the the flowers are stamped.  I cut my letters out with the Silhouette Cameo and rather than have separate letters, I welded my letters together so that it would be one piece.  I cut out 4 of the words "happy" but before I adhered all the layers together, here's what I did.  I placed a piece of acetate over the card front that I'd stamped.  It was slightly smaller than the card, but covered all of the stamped area.  I had taped down the card and the acetate with some eclipse tape (washi tape would work too).  It just needs to be some type of tape that won't harm your card stock.  After I had my acetate over my card base, I placed the word "Happy" (on top of the acetate using a re-positional adhesive) where I wanted it to be on the card.  I have a Fiskars stamping press that I use quite often with my acrylic stamps.  The spongy base allows me to move the stamp around until I get it in the right place to stamp.  Here's what it looks like:

I used this stamp press when stamping on the card base, and when I stamped it again on the letters that I'd adhered to the acetate.  Once I'd stamped on the letters, I gently removed them and wiped the excess ink from the acetate.  Then I adhered my 4 layers of "Happy" together with some glue (make sure to put the stamped piece on top), and adhered it all to my card base, taking care to line up the stamping on the word "Happy" with the image stamped on the card base.  

I know this all sounds complicated, but once you do it a time or two, it really is super simple.  I LOVE how easy it was using the acetate!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

Make it Monday - PTI

I've never played along with the Make it Monday at Papertrey Ink, but this week, I needed (another) birthday card and it's a perfect fit for the challenge.

We have a granddaughter that turned 16 on Monday, and as usual, I'm late getting the card mailed! Hope she forgives my tardiness! Super simple card.  I embossed a white background with a Lifestyles embossing folder that leaves an un-embossed area at the top...perfect for my computer generated "sweet".  The "16" was cut with Papertrey Ink's By the Numbers dies.  I cut the numbers from red card stock, then heat embossed them with clear embossing powder using one of the techniques shown in this week's video for PTI.  I cut an addition 3 layers from plain white card stock and glued all the layers together to give the numbers dimension without using pop dots.  I adhered the white embossed panel to a red paper (same as used for the numbers) and then adhered it all with pop dots to the white card base.  

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

LIM115 - Inspired by our Favorite Film

I'm a little late getting my card(s) for the Less is More challenge completed this week.  We had a big family get together on Saturday and I was completely exhausted on Sunday.  I tried to make a card or two last night, (and I hate to admit it....but after I had the "makings" of 3 cards completed I realized that this week is a ONE LAYER challenge! Geesh....back to the drawing board for me.  I still did my favorite films, I just had to figure out how to make it one layer!

Here's what I came up with for this week's "Film" challenge.

Can you guess the movie?  One of my all time favorites...with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.  Have you seen Overboard?  Funny, funny movie!  It plays quite often on some of our cable channels and I watch it every time I see it playing!  I made the lifesaver float in my Silhouette program and then just printed it rather than cut it.  For the rope handles I had to add a few doodled lines.  I also added a little shading to make it pop a little.  The sentiment is from PTI.

Want to hazard a guess about the film that inspired this card...yep! "Pretty Woman"   I'm not sure who makes this stamp, but I've had it forever and never found the "right" time to use it...but I think that this was the perfect stamp for this film.  I stamped in black and colored with Copics.  I added a few tiny pieces of bling to the necklace and some stickles to the hairpiece.  For the straps of the dress and the lacing in the back, I used a silver star pen from Sakura.  Sentiment is from PTI.

When I was a teenager, my parents took me to see the Sound of Music.  It's still a favorite of mine and I watch it any time it comes on television, and I also have the video disc.  The song My Favorite Things is what inspired this card...you know...raindrops on roses.....Can you see the "raindrops" on my roses?  The image and the sentiment are both from Flourishes and are from the Lenten Rose Collection.  I colored the image with Copics...and added a few drops of glossy accents for my raindrops...easy peasy!

This last card was inspired by the movie Beaches with Bette Midler.  Sweet movie!  Image and sentiment are from Sweet N Sassy stamps.  Colored with Copics and rounded the corners of the card. Super quick!

This card also fits the challenge this week at Addicted to Stamps and More.  Here's the inspiration photo for this week's challenge:

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

Freshly Made Sketches #81

There's a new sketch up at Freshly Made Sketches.  This is sketch #81...and it's a good one...see...

As soon as I saw the sketch, I kind of knew what I wanted to do...and here's how it came out.

The image is from a Flourishes set called Garden Fresh.  I stamped the image in black and scanned it into my computer so that I could open the image in my Silhouette program and make a cut file for the image.  You could do this with any stamp and it would take all the work out of fussy cutting!  After I cut out the shape, I stamped the image onto the cut shape and then colored it with Copics. I use a SU embossing folder to emboss the top portion of green card stock.  The sentiment is also from the Garden Fresh set and is stamped in black on the lighter green that I put on the bottom.  Although the brads look red, they are actually a bright orange.  I adhered the two pieces of green together and added a solid green strip over the seam and then pop dotted the entire panel over a white card base.  I also added a few lines of faux stitching around the green on the bottom.  The carrots were pop dotted over the embossed panel.  

After I bought the Garden Fresh set, I couldn't decide how to use them on a card...until today.  This is the first time this set has seen ink.  I think the sentiment could be taken two ways...carrots are good for you....or as a congrats for a job well done "good for you!".  Either way, it kind of works, don't you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!

CASE Study 135

When I saw the technique for the challenge at CASE Study, I just knew I had to give that one a try.  I love the look of the double stamping.  So...  after looking over this fabulous tutorial, I got busy making a card for the challenge.  Looks like I'll just be able to slip in before the challenge closes!

I used the huge image from SU and stamped my image twice in SU's Pretty in Pink ink.  I used some alphabet dies from PTI and cut out the word "Thanks", then adhered it with pop dots right over the same area that I stamped on the bottom panel that was stamped with the same large medallion stamp.  Love how this turned out...so I'm sure I'll be giving it another try soon!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments and your visits are always appreciated!! Until next time...

Hugs!