Think Spring

It's fantastic Friday as well as the first day of February.  Welcome to you all.  I am happy to report that I am finally back in my craft room regularly.  It is so nice to sit and craft and relax.  Here in Phoenix, AZ we are experiencing the temperature slowly rising up.  We have had a few days that felt truly like winter, and when it rained for 3 days in a row it was really like winter.  Well now we are heading back into the 70's.  Soon it will be the 80's and past that I don't even want to think about. 

So to put me in a springtime mood, I wanted to do a card that felt light with muted colors.  I used several new items from the spring catalog on this one so I hope you like it.  Here we go.

 

I started with a base card of So Saffron cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  I added a layer of Whisper White that measures 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  For the final layer, I cut a piece of Old Olive card stock at 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran this through the big shot using the new Vine Street impression folder.  Now this folder is available through the Sale-a-bration promotion going on currently.  For every $50 you spend on products from the regular or spring catalog you get to select one product from the Sale-a-bration catalog.  I love the look of this folder.  All layers were attached to the bottom base card using runner adhesive.  I added gem stones to the corners just to dress it up a little.

 

The next feature I added to the card was the adorable pinwheels.  Now I made a pinwheel card a few years ago.  I cut a piece of designer paper into a square, cut from the corners towards the center and punched little holes in the folded in pieces to attach them.  Well the spring catalog gives us a product that will do everything for you so all you do is fold in the pieces and attached them together with a brad.  It is a Sizzix Sizzlit die called Pinwheel.  This is used with your handy Big Shot machine.  I was so excited to get this one so that I could make more and more pinwheels.  Let me show you the other one.

 

This one is made using the same die.  I used a retired designer series paper set I had to make these.  The pole for the one above is So Saffron while this one is Baja Breeze.  I used an antique looking brad in the center of each to hold the pinwheel together.  The poles were attached using a glue dot.  I then attached these to the card with a 2 way glue pen on the pole and another glue dot up at the pinwheel.

 

When I think of spring, I think of butterflies.  It just makes sense to me.  So I had to put a couple on this card.  I used Whisper White card stock to make these.  The large one is punched out using the Elegant Butterfly punch and the smaller one is punched out using the new Bitty Butterfly punch in the spring catalog.  Once they were punched out, I ran them through the big shot using the impression folder Flower Garden.  I attached them to the card using liquid glue.  This is just put along the center of the butterfly body to attach it to the card.  I then added rhinestones to the center of each butterfly forming the body on top.

 

Last but certainly not least is the greeting.  I chose to make this one a thank you card so I used the "Thanks" stamp from the stamp set Perfect Punches.  I inked the stamp first with VersaMark ink and then with So Saffron.  I stamped this onto Whisper White and added clear embossing powder to it.  Once it was heat embossed, I punched it out using the scallop oval punch.  I attached it to the card using dimensionals.

Well that's all I have for today.  I will be back on Monday with something new to share so please stop by then.  Have a wonderful and safe weekend and thanks for stopping by today.

Egg Pick-up

It's is once again fabulous Friday.  This week has just flown by.  I was pretty busy with a few appointments, errands and taking care of ill family.  Still it just seemed to go by so fast.  Maybe that is just a side effect of getting older.  Who knows.  It is just nice when things seem to slow down and you feel you have more time to enjoy them.

For today's share, I decided to do one of my favorite things - work with glitter!!  I love that sparkle you see when something is all glittered and shiny!  In choosing my topic for my card I decided to go with an Easter theme today.  So let's get started.

 

As you can see, I chose to use lots of pastels on this card.  I personally always associate these colors with Easter so they were a natural selection for me.  I started with a base card of Bashful Blue card stock cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I used my Sprinkles stamp set to stamp small flowers onto the outer edges of the Bashful Blue using VersaMark ink.  I then sprinkled clear embossing powder onto the flowers and heat embossed them.   Next, I pulled out scrap pieces of Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, and Whisper White.  Using my big shot and the new Framelits Labels Collection from the Occasions Mini Catalog, I decided on the order of my colors and cut the labels to suit my needs.  I love these framelits.  They make decorating a lot of fun.  I wanted to add a little texture to each layer so I once again turned to the big shot for help.  The Pretty in Pink was run through the big shot using an impression folder called Plaid.  For the So Saffron, I ran it through using the impression folder called Houndstooth.  My Certainly Celery piece was also put through the big shot but instead of using an impression folder I used a texture plate called Harlequin.  These work very similarly to the impression folder.  For the Whisper White, I used my pastels to chalk a sky.  You cannot really see it in this picture but I promise it is there.  The layers were each sprayed using the Color Spritzer Tool and coordinating markers (again it is hard to see).  I adhered each layer to each other as well as to the base card using glue dots. 

 

When it came to the greeting, I used a stamp from the Loads of Love Accessories Stamp Set.  I stamped it using StazOn ink onto Whisper White and punched it out using the 1" square punch.  I then edged it using Perfect Plum ink.  Next I took a piece of scrap Perfect Plum card stock and punched it using the Postage Stamp punch.  I layered the two together and adhered it using dimensionals. 

 

For the center piece of the card, I used the Loads of Love stamp set for the truck and the Loads of Love Accessories stamp set for the eggs.  I stamped these on acetate using StazOn ink.  I first stamped the truck and then added the eggs using my stamp-a-ma-jig as a guide.  Next comes the glitter.  This is a stain glass truck so it was colored in the same manner as any other stain glass creation.  I started with my lighter glitter colors and worked towards the dark ones.  I added glue to the area I wanted a color in and then added the glitter.  Let it sit for a minute then you can add glue to the next area for your next color.  Continue this pattern until your image is completely glittered.  Let it dry completely.  I tend to leave mine to dry over night.  You do not want any part of it wet when you attach it.  I then used my small paper snips to cut the truck out.  You adhere it, glitter side down, using glue dots.  Just be patient.  I know it takes time to make these but the finished product is just gorgeous.  

I certainly hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I am looking forward to one with everyone well.  I will be back on Monday with another card to share with you.  Be sure to stop and see what I come up with.  See you on Monday and thanks for stopping by today!!

Elegance of Cards

Happy March everyone.  Here in Phoenix Arizona we are hoping for another month of spring like temperatures and maybe a little rain too.  Nice weather is always appreciated here and goodness knows we will run out soon enough.

Today I wanted to share I card I made using a couple of items from the Occasions Mini catalog.  Remember, this catalog is only around until April 30th do make sure you get your orders in before then.  Anyway, I used items that I thought would make a very elegant card to send to someone for their birthday or just to say hi.  So how about I stop rambling and let''s get started on the card.

 

I started this one with a base card of Lucky Limeade cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  I then turned to my Shimmer White card stock cut at 4" x 5 1/4" and ran it through my big shot using the Vintage Wallpaper impression folder.  I used runner adhesive to attach this to the Limeade base card.   I added rhinestones to the center of the flowers on the white background after I attached the blossoms and the greeting. 

 

For the greeting I turned to 2 stamp sets.  The first is called Four Frames.  I used this one to stamp the pretty frame that you see in Lucky Limeade ink on Whisper White card stock.  I then turned to the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and stamped the "just for you" sentiment in Limeade ink.  I then used the Decorative Label punch to punch out the greeting.  I took a piece of scrap Limeade card stock and punched out 2 more Decorative Labels to make the frame to go around the greeting.  Once this was put together, I set it aside as it needed to be attached after the flowers were.  I adhered it using dimensionals.  Then it was time to work on the flowers.

 

This is where the Occasions Mini catalog comes in to play.  I used the stamp set called Mixed Bunch to get the beautiful filigree design you see on my flowers.  I stamped this flower 3 times total.  Do only one at a time though.  I stamped the flower using VersaMark ink onto Whisper White card stock.  I then used my Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango and Tempting Turquoise embossing powders to heat emboss them.  That is why you can only do one at a time.  Once a flower is stamped, sprinkle the powder over the flower, shaking off the excess.  Then use the heat tool to heat emboss it.  When these 3 were finished, I used the coordinating punch from the Occasions Mini catalog called Blossom and punched each flower out.  Using the solid end of my paper piercer, I curled the petals of the flowers under just a little.  I then took scrap pieces of Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango and Tempting Turquoise card stock and punched out a blossom using the Blossom punch.  I then adhered the solid color to the embossed flower off setting the petals.  I adhered these with glue dots.  I wanted a little bling on the flowers so I added rhinestones to the center of each flower.  I had one to match the turquoise and melon colors but not the tangerine.  I turned to my alcohol inks and colored one to match the tangerine.  I then attached the flowers using dimensionals.  Once they were on, I could adhere the greeting and add rhinestones to the center of the flowers on the white embossed background. 

Now that may seem like a lot of steps but it is really not a difficult card to make.  Give it a try and send me a picture of yours.  I would love to see what you come up with.  I shall return tomorrow to finish the week off with another creations.  Have a wonderful rest of your day and I will see you tomorrow.  Thanks for dropping by!

Lovely Springtime

Happy Leap Year Day!!!   Welcome to Wednesday everyone.  Well yesterday we finally cooled down again here in Phoenix.  Our high was only in the 60's instead of in the upper 70's to low 80's.  Now some of you may think those temperatures are nothing to complain about and you are right.  It is just that the sooner we start warming up, the hotter the summer usually is.  Believe me, 115 degrees is nothing to reach during the summer and the longer it can be put off the better.

As we move into these nice temperatures though we see the flowers beginning to come back and the trees looking green again.  Well you cannot help but think of spring.  It always amazes me how we jump from holiday to holiday in the stores.  Now I love Easter but with it being over a month away, I am not ready to shop for it.  So I decided today I would make another critter based on the tutorial from Kim Score.  While I did use some of the information for this one, I changes a few of the items to suit my needs.  So let's get started.

 

I started with a base card of Marina Mist cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  I then cut a piece of Basic Black card stock at 4" x 5 1/4".  I took that piece and sprayed it with a champagne shimmer spray made with 2 oz of alcohol and a few drops of the champagne shimmer paint.  I know you cannot really see it in the picture but when the light hits the card just right, it sparkles!  Once it was sprayed and dried (this happens very quickly) I ran it through the big shot using the Finial Press impression folder.  Next I took a piece of Whisper White card stock and using the Lace Ribbon Border punch, I punched a strip to place across the card.  

 

I turned to my Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set for the greeting on this one.  I stamped the greeting with StazOn black ink onto Whisper White card stock.  I then punched it out using the Word Window punch.  Next I took a scrap piece of Marina Mist card stock and punched out a Modern Label.  I layered the greeting on top of the modern label.  I wanted to add a little something to the greeting so I went to my box of brads.  These are not from Stampin' Up! but they are cute.  I picked up these little flowers at a convention not too long ago.  I used a light purple set for this card.  I attached this using dimensionals.

 

Here is a close up of my butterfly.  The face is the same from the dragonfly yesterday.  I did use one piece of the body that Kim had in her instructions.  I made the antennas black first but changed it when I realized you would not be able to see them on the background.  I went with Melon Mambo instead.  I also used the scallop flower from the teeny tiny punch pack.  I punched one in black, cut it in half, and placed them behind the eyelids for lashes.  Again if I had been thinking ahead, I would have used a different color since they really do not show up.  I added glitter to the nose for personality.  The wings included in the instructions were completely different from what I did so I will share this with you.   For my wings, I chose to use Vellum Paper.  I ran 2 pieces of this through my big shot using the Beautiful Butterflies die.  I used the half butterfly wings on it, cutting out 2 of each size.  I then used some glitter from my huge stash of glitter to add colorful dots to the wings.  I let these dry completely.  Once dry, I attached the small ones first to the body using a glue pen, and then I attached the large ones behind that using the glue stick.  I attached the completed butterfly to the card using dimensionals. 

Finally everyone at my house if feeling a little better.  Hopefully all will be well by the weekend.  I will return tomorrow with another card to share with you.  Thanks for dropping by today and I will see you tomorrow. 

 

Outside Inspiration

I love making cards, but I will admit that I do not know everything.  I am constantly learning new techniques and new punch art designs.  While I do spend a lot of time working on my own ideas, it is impossible to not look to see what other demonstrators are doing and be inspired by their work.  With that being said, I want you to know that my design for the card I will show you today is an inspiration from someone else.

 

I fell in love with this little guy the first time I saw him.  The base card is Marina Mist with a layer of Basic Black on top of that.  The top layer is a piece of Whisper White.  Once again, I wanted a sky scene so I used my pastels to make a sky.  Now I have to tell you a funny story.  I never have claimed to be perfect and this card proves it.  I took the greeting from the Perfectly Penned stamp set and wanted to stamp it using Marina Mist ink directly onto the card.  I bet you can see that it is actually on a separate piece of white card stock that I attached to the top of the card with runner adhesive.  Well the reason it had to be put on this way is because I did stamp it directly onto the card - upside down!  I could not believe I did that.  Then I had to recover from laughing before I could fix it.  So needless to say, this card will be a sample and not one I would sell or give anyone.  I will have to make another one. 

 

To learn how to make this little guy, I visited Kim Score's blog .  On her blog, she has tutorials that are for sale at very reasonable prices.  I bought the tutorial that included the instructions to make this dragonfly.  Because this is not my original design and is not on the web for all to see, I cannot give you the specifics on how to make him.  You are free to visit her site and purchase the tutorial if you like.  I did change a few things on him to make him more of what I wanted.  I do hope you can understand why I cannot provide the directions.  If you live near me, watch your email.  There may be a class coming up soon where we will learn to make this little guy.  

I am trying my best to get a lot of rest this week.  Everyone in my house except me has been sick for the past few days.  I hope not to catch it!  After all, I got a clean bill of health from my doctor yesterday.  

I will return tomorrow with another card that I hopefully don't stamp upside down on.   Thanks for dropping in today and I will see you tomorrow. 

Bouncing Bunny

I want to start today's blog a little different.  I received a comment on one of my posts the other day from a fellow card maker who asked that I mention her blog and name when I use an idea of hers on one of my cards.  I really do try to keep a record of ideas, the blog where I see it, and the name of the person who made it as best as I can.  If I ever do post something you know you have made please feel free to tell me.  I will say that I visit a lot of blogs every day and do not track every idea I see.  I only track ones I definitely plan to revisit or possibly use.    In this case, I did not write the information down so when I sat to design a card, this little picture of the focus animal on the card popped into my mind.  I could not remember where or when I has seen it so I could not reference the designer.  I really would have referenced the other designer if I had remembered as I feel it is very important to give credit to others for their hard work.  So thank you for reaching out and letting me know.  In the future I will try to be more diligent in referencing others blogs.  I am not perfect but I will give it my best effort.

That being said, I do want to start today by letting you know I saw a similar design to the bunny on my card at another card maker's blog.  Her name is Juliana (there was no last name listed that I saw) and you can see her bunny here if you would like to see her design.  I changed the color of the bunny and the way the ears were on the rabbit.  I also changed my background.  Only the basic idea of the rabbit was cased.  Now that I have taken care of that (I did not want to forget today : ) ) let me show you my card.

 

The reason this bunny caught my eye is I love how he looks like he is hopping down the hill.  I started with a Pink Pirouette base card cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I then added a layer of Basic Gray measuring 4" x 5 1/4" which I had run through the big shot using the Houndstooth impression folder.  Now you really cannot see the texture on this so it us up to you if you want to do this step.   Next I took a piece of Whisper White card stock cut at 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and using my pastels (chalks) I created the sky background on it.  I then took a scrap of Wild Wasabi card stock and tore strips of it to make the hill.  I added Dazzling Diamond glitter to the edges of the grass for added effect.  Next I used the scallop flower from the itty bitty punch pack and punched flowers in Perfect Plum, Rose Red, and So Saffron.  I scattered these around my hill and then added a dot of Stickles glitter glue to the center of each flower.  While this dried, I started building my bunny.

 

I will give you a run down of the punches I used to make him.  I chose the colors for this guy to be Basic Gray, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, and Basic Black.  The ears are comprised of 2 punches - the large oval punch and the retired small oval punch.  His body is a 1 3/4" circle punch.  For the head, I used the ornament punch.  I cut off the hook and rounded the tip for his chin.  The cheeks and tale are from the 3/4" punch.  I drew the whiskers on the cheeks with a fine tip black pen and added Dazzling Diamond glitter to the tail.  The nose and white of the eyes are from the 1/2" circle punch.  The black of the eyes is the circle from the itty bitty punch pack.  For his little feet, I punched a modern label and cut it in half.  I added white gel pen to the eyes, nose and ears for enhancement.  All in all he is pretty easy to make.  

 

Here is a closer look at the face and at the hills and flowers.  I just wanted to be sure you could really see all the details of the background.  

 

Last but not least is the greeting.  I used a stamp from the retired stamp set Well Scripted.  I stamped it in Pacific Point ink directly onto the card.  As I was looking at this, I decided a more appropriate title might be "hoppy Easter" so I took out my rhinestones, chose a pretty pink one, and covered up the "a" to make it an "o".  Hopefully that will come across to the recipient of the card.  I do apologize for the blurriness in the picture.  I took several shots but this was the best.  Apparently, I need to work on my photography skills!

We have once again reached the end of another week.  Take time this weekend and do something fun.  Spend time with family and friends if you have the chance.  I will be back on Monday with another card to share with you.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great weekend and I will see you Monday!!

 

Splish Splash

I am working on several Easter cards right now hoping to teach a punch art class featuring these.  So I will have at least two more to share with you this week.  Hopefully I will be able to schedule a class in March.  It has been a while since I had one here and I am looking forward to doing it again. 

Today's card features a critter who would love to go Splish Splash.  This design actually came to me in the shower so I guess it really fits the title.  This is also a card that could be for Easter or just for a spring time card for a birthday or whatever.  So let's get started.

 

Now I hope you can recognize that this is a duck.  I could not help myself with this little guy.  He is just too cute to me.  My base card is Tangerine Tango card stock cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".   The first layer on top of that is a Basic Black piece of card stock cut at 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".   Next I cut a piece of Whisper White at 4" x 5 1/4".  I used my pastels to chalk a sky with a gray chalk.  Using a scrap piece of Soft Suede and tore a couple of pieces to use as the ground.  I attached them using runner adhesive and then added dazzling diamond glitter to the edges.  For my puddles, I used a scrap of Pacific Point card stock and punched out 2 wide ovals.  I trimmed them to a shape I like, adhered them with runner adhesive and of course added some glitter.  To make my water drops, I turned to the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch.  When you punch out the flower, you get these perfect tear drop shaped pieces that work wonderfully for the drops of water.  I saved the flowers for another time.  These were made out of Pacific Point.  I used a liquid glue to adhere them and again turned to my glitter to embellish them.  

 

I turned to my handy big shot and my Billboard sizzlit decorative strip die.  I cut these out of Basic Black card stock, adhered them with liquid adhesive and then added black glitter to them.  Next time I would add the glitter to the letters first.  I feel it would have a much cleaner look.

 

Now for the duck.  I used Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Basic Black, Whisper White, and Pacific Point card stock on him.  His head and body are made using the ornament punch.  His hair is the small flower from the boho blossom punch.  His bill is a large oval punch and his eyes come from the owl builder punch.  I used the largest circles from it for the white and used the medium ones for the blue and black part of the eyes.  For the tail, I attached the medium heart from the heart to heart punch.  His wings are a 1 3/4" scallop circle punch cut in half.  For his little feet, I started by punching 1 3/4" scallop circles.  I then used a large oval punch and traced it to get the size foot I wanted.  I cut them out and added them to him.  I also cut an extra one to use as a template in the future.  White gel pen was used to highlight certain areas.

Well we have once again made it to Wednesday.  I wish all of you a wonderful day and thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope you come back tomorrow.  See you then.

 

Here Comes the Easter Bunny

First and foremost, I wish all of you a glorious Good Friday.  I know for myself and my family, this is a day of reflection and of honoring Jesus for the sacrifice that was made to pave the way for all of us.  Be sure to spend time with your family and to be thankful for all you have.  I know I will.

With Easter just a few days away, I thought I would share with you the cute Bunny Boxes I made this year.

 

As you can see, I made 4 different ones: Basic Grey, Whisper White, Soft Suede and Basic Black.  The Bunny face and back were made using the Top Note Die for my Big Shot.  They are attached to a Bigz XL Fancy Favor box.  That is another die for the big shot for those who are not familiar with all the dies.  What is nice about this box is not only does the big shot cut out the box, it also scores all the lines which will need to be folded making assembly super easy.   Now onto the Bunny itself.

 

The ears and feet are the Wide Oval punch.  You need two for the ears.  Then punch 2 large ovals (1 3/4" x 7/8") out of Pretty in Pink for the inside of the ears.  I chose to make each rabbit have colored eyes.  These are made from the 1" circle punch.  The black of the eyes is a 3/4" circle punch.  The cheeks are 1 1/4" circles, dotted using a black fine tip marker.  Now on the black one, I dotted the cheeks with the white gel pen.  The nose is the Small Heart punch in Melon Mambo.  I drew a little mouth on (see it just under the green from the carrot) with the black pen.  Again, use the white gel for the black bunny.  The "hands" were made using a scallop circle, then using the 1" circle punch to punch out 3 scallops to for hands.  1 scallop circle will do both hands.  On his little feet, I used the 3/4" circle punch and 3 circles from the itty bitty punch pack to make the toes.  The carrot is a small oval   (1 3/8" x 5/8") in Pumpkin Pie.  I drew the rings on using the Pumpkin Pie marker.  The leaves are from the Snowflake punch.  One snowflake in Garden Green can be cut in half to make leaves for 2 carrots.   Of course there is one more things this little guy needs:

 

That's right - a cotton tail.  Pretty simple to make.  They go together quickly.  You may find it hard to believe, but these are actually for my girls and their beaus.  Even though the ages range from 19 - 24, who would not want to get a bunny filled with goodies.  Oh well, I like them.  

I want to wish all of you an Easter full of God's grace and blessings.  Remember to let go of the past and always look to God for the future.  Thanks for stopping by today and I will be back Monday.  HAPPY EASTER!

Spring Is In The Air

Wow, what a weekend.  My husband and I spent most of the afternoon Saturday working in our backyard pulling weeds.  Not a lot of fun.  The only bright spot is we have this wonderful company that comes and sprays our yard every 6 months with a weed preventative formula.  It kills existing weeds and keeps them away.  Unfortunately we went about nine months instead of six due to family issues so our weeds came back full force.  Now they have been sprayed, pulled, and sent off in the trash.  Happy days are here again!!

Here in Arizona, the first day of spring happens for us a lot sooner than for other states.  We have been in the 70's and 80's for a few weeks now.  We even hit 90.  I am not ready for that yet.  So I wanted to make a spring themed card.  Of course the first thing I thought of was butterflies.

 

As you can see, I used one of my favorite embosslit folders for the Big Shot called Beautiful Wings.  The background was made using the lattice die for the Big Shot and the leaves are from the two step bird punch.  Once again, I jazzed it up by adding glitter to the butterflies and leaves.  I chose Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, and Melon Mambo for my butterflies, and used Tempting Turquoise for the background.  I wanted bright colors to give a springtime feel to the card.  It is blank inside, making it the perfect note card to send to a friend (especially one who is in the snow and cold still).  Of course, you could add a nice sentiment stamp to the inside if you prefer.  Either way, it just made me smile to see it.  Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.  Thanks for stopping by.